We just call them night howlers
by Bluelighthouse
Summary: The mastermind behind the night howler attacks is behind bars,the lab that created the drug has been destroyed, and a cure has been made. All should be calm right? Not so much. Judy and Nick have to face a new foe using a familiar drug to cause chaos in Zootopia. Warning: Rated M for major adult themes. You know, the fun kind!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Zootopia. Disney does. Please support the official release!**

 **(4/2/2018)**

 **STOP! Please stop right here. I do not think you should read this story. No this isn't some series of unfortunate events kind of thing. I am being serious. This is not a good story. This was my first ever time writing a fanfic. It started out fun and innocent but I learned a lot while writing it. Like how this fandom can be so toxic when it comes to certain ideas. How much hate can be thrown towards someone for trying something and that even though we want to pretend in Zootopia anyone can be anything we are still required to fall in line.**

 **So please do me a favor and turn back now! There are plenty of other good stories out there written by some truly amazing people like _Fox in the hen house, Starfangssecrets, Cimar,_ and so many others. **

**Do not read this. It's only up because I promised a friend it would stay up for those who haven't yet finished this terrible story.**

 **I hate this story.**

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Chapter 1: A spark.

"Try everything!" Judy sang out loud as she and her fox companion wandered the streets towards her apartment. The air was still warm and full of energy from the concert they had just attended. Judy couldn't help the slight hop in her step.

The content rabbit couldn't remember the last time she had so much fun. The concert had been thrown in celebration after the Night howler case had finally been closed and the city began to return to its once harmonic state between Predators and Prey. There was still some friction in the streets after everyone was given a stern reminder of just how fragile the ecosystem of Zootopia really was. The concert was a welcome reminder however of what the city should stand for.

"So do all bunnies sing off key or is it just you?" Nick jokingly asked, giving his rabbit friend a slight nudge. Judy smirked at the comment," Watch it, remember the last time someone said a rabbit couldn't do anything!" She shot back while poking him quickly in the ribs.

Nick jumped back slightly, hoping to avoid a continued attack and chuckled," What? You plan on leaving the ZPD to pursue a singing career now?" He questioned with one of his sly grins.

"Only if you come and be one of my back up dancers! How did that one move go?" Judy asked while making a rolling motion with her arms, mimicking the moves she had witnessed from the fox at the concert," bet the vixens go crazy for that one!" She chuckled at her own joke.

"Oh and the hopping air fist is the next big craze?" Nick snapped back as he hopped up and threw a fist up, only putting half the effort the little rabbit had hours before. Making it look that much more amusing.

At this point they were both laughing at each other's antics as they continued their stroll through the ever emptying streets. Several mammals were still out and about. The city never really slept and there were always a few folks out at this hour. However the streets seemed slightly more empty than normal. Maybe it was the concert having drained many citizens of energy. Or maybe it was the lingering results of Mayor Bellwethers plot.

Either way it didn't matter to Judy, not tonight at least. All that mattered was she was with her new partner, she had the day off tomorrow, and she had just seen her favorite singer live while surrounded by those she cared about.

As the duo approached Judy's apartments they fell silent, content with each others company. Without saying a word Nick held the door to the building open for Judy and followed close behind her. They slowly walked up the stairs, the elevator was still out of order. A small sign hanging in front of the slightly ajar doors. Judy didn't mind the walk through. She was still so happy that she actually hopped up the steps. Giggling quietly at Nick as he rolled his eyes with a smirk.

They finally reached Judy's apartment door at which point she felt a slight pang of sadness. Did the night really have to end? She slowly turned to Nick who had been standing behind her, ready to wish him a good night. However her purple eyes went wide in surprise when she found Nick leaning down, his muzzle mere inches from her. The smile on his face was unfamiliar to her. It held a mix of his normal smugness along with something she couldn't explain. Or at least she was nervous to...

"N..Nick?" She let out in timid whisper. Her eyes going from his mouth and back to his eyes which were filled with a hunger that made her shiver slightly.

"What Carrots?" He let out in a smooth whisper, his words came out as if he were talking to a lover. His lips moving slightly closer to hers. His arms slowly wrapping around her waist, bringing her body against his. She put her hands against his chest automatically but not in a way that would push him away. Her fingers spread against his shirt, feeling the warm fur underneath.

"Wh..what...?" Was all she could get out. The rest of her words failed her. Her eye lids began to droop slightly and her ears followed suit. Her lips remained parted, she could almost taste his breath. 'Is this really happening?' She wondered.

As Nick leaned ever closer Judy realized something which caused a sudden shock to run through her. She realized she wanted this to happen. It made sense to her. It just felt right somehow.

She felt herself leaning into him, her lips longing to be against his. She was almost there, her heart racing, body shivering, ears taking in every sound. Her eye lids drooped even more to the point she could barely see Nick whose lips finally...

*Beep Beep beep!*

Judy shot straight up and quickly scanned her room in a minor panic. Her chest heaving as she caught her breath. She looked over at her night stand at the alarm that blinked 5:30 am. She slapped the top of the clock which caused it's beeping to cease. Sending the room into a low hum, the city outside providing a calm background of different sounds.

The bed was wet with sweat. At least that's what she told herself it was. She slowly rubbed her own arms and felt a cool moisture covering her fur. "What was that all about...?" She whispered to herself.

"It's called an alarm! It tells you when to get out of your lumpy bed" came a muffled shout through the wall.

"Shut up, she's just wondering out loud!" came another voice from the same wall.

This merely started a 'shut up sesh' as Judy called it. Her neighbors continued their verbal assault of one another until one of them went back to sleep or went hoarse.

Judy slowly lowered herself back into bed. Her bunny spaceman sheets especially cool thanks to whatever her body had decided to do them in the night. Normally she would be up and about, getting ready for her morning run before having breakfast. Today was different though. Today she was lost in thought.

Images flashed in her mind, all of them showed the same series of events. Nick's smile. His arms around her. His eyes full of want. His lips close to hers. The last image sent a strange feeling through her body. Not in a necessarily bad one she noted.

She stared blankly at the ceiling. "That sure was

..Something new" she thought to herself as she slowly climbed out of bed and realized that the moisture was not just exclusive to her sheets. She looked down and gently checked her pajama bottoms. Besides being covered in smiling carrots she noticed they were fairly wet. She let out a brief sigh," well this day could have started off better..." she muttered and then her eyes went wide when she realized what she had done...

"Yeah, but it can still get worse!" Came the familiar voice through the walk.

"Shut up!"

As the torrent of shut ups renewed Judy decided it would be best just to shower up before heading out for a jog. She slowly walked to the bathroom. When she entered her paw gently brushed against the light switch, filling the room with a warm, though slightly inconsistent glow as one of the bulbs flickered while two others were burnt out completely.

Judy reached for the shower and turned the knob to the setting for hot, thought for a second, then flipped it back to cold. She had a feeling a cold shower would be much more useful right now. As the water sprayed from the shower head Judy undressed, took a deep breath, and stepped into the cool spray. She shuddered as the cold water pelted her fur.

Normally her showers were quick, after all there was always lots to do. However this time she just stood, both paws against the shower wall, letting the refreshing water roll down her back as she looked at the floor. She didn't understand why she felt this way. Why was this such a big deal? So she dreamt about Nick! Big deal! She had had a few dreams like this before, but even she had to admit it never involved a friend. Especially a friend who was of a completely different species.

As Judy allowed her mind to wander in the cool comfort of her little shower her phone began to buzz erratically on her night stand. An automated message came up on screen:

ZPD AUTOMATED MESSAGE:

ATTN: ALL UNITS PRECINCT 1

REPORT TO PRECINCT 10-18 (RUSH STATUS)

ALL OFF UNITS CALL IN FOR STATUS

Moments later another text appeared. An alert from a local news website. The headline along with a few words scrolled across the screen:

Night howler nightmare returns to city:

Reports of another attack are beginning to come in from Sahara...

The scrolling message was interrupted as an image of Nick and Judy appeared on the screen. The picture was of them on Nick's graduation day. Both of them wearing their dress uniforms. Arms wrapped around each other shoulders, which was hard considering Judy's height. Judy with a wide eyed smile and Nick with his regular sly grin.  
Incoming call from  
Nicolas Wilde

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 **(4/2/2018)**

 **why did you read this? Why did you continue? I told you not to! Seriously it's not good from here. It gets bad. Go read _Firewatch_ if you must read my works! **

**I am not happy with this story and am so very tired of receiving the hatemail you will undoubtedly start to write when you get farther along. Please turn back.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Stay Cool

The shower had done Judy some good. She had spent over half an hour just standing in the cool stream and just let her mind slowly clear of the strange thoughts that had been preoccupying her main train of thought. She decided not to soap and shampoo herself though, knowing she would just have to do it when she got back. She simply grabbed a towel as she stepped out and began to dry her soaked fur.

As she walked out of the bathroom running the towel down one of her ears she noticed that her phones alert light was blinking several colors. Indicating multiple notifications from several apps were waiting for her.

She slowly picked up the phone and unlocked the main screen. Her purple eyes going wide to the information exploding from her phone. 3 missed calls, 2 news alerts, and several messages from both on and off duty officers at the ZPD. "Oh shit…"She muttered as the news app sent another update. "Victim found from the savage attack in Sahara Square last night" the news update said.

"That's a bad word!" Came a voice through the wall.

"Shut up!" Came another shout, only this one was in Judy's own apartment. She wasn't able to stop herself. First the strange dream that made her question some very important things in her life and now the thought that all her efforts in the previous case had been for nothing. It was almost too much.

Judy's paws quickly tapped the message app in her phone and began to create a message for Nick: "Just got up. What exactly is going on?" She heard a sweet sounding chirp as the message was sent to her partner. She decided at that moment it would probably best to get dressed. The run could wait.

It wasn't until Judy had snapped her vests clips in place that she heard a small chirp come from her phone. She grabbed it as if it were a vine keeping her from falling down a bottomless pit. Her eyes scanning the message: "You just getting up? Thought you never slept!" The message read. Even in the early hours Nick always knew how to get a smirk out of his partner. Another message followed right after: "No idea, just grabbing some coffee, should be at work shortly. Have a feeling its going to be a long week though."

At this point Judy decided it would be best just to head to work. She knew she could get some information from the news apps on her phone but had always had a problem figuring out what really was true and what was speculation. She decided that when it came to the case Bogo would be able to give her exactly what she needed to know.

Judy grabbed her keys off the table by her door, flipped out the light, and headed down the hall. A slight feeling of dread formed in her stomach. Not only because of the messages of warning that constantly chirped in her phone, but the thought of seeing 'him' after last nights interesting dreams.

The ZPD building was surrounded by several news vans from various networks. Reporters and camera mammals were spread across the campus, all reporting variations of the same story. Fortunately for Judy no one took notice of her right away and she was able to slip inside the massive entry doors to the ZPD.

Once inside Judy couldn't help but notice an excess amount of officers. Some in standard patrol gear, others in a modified riot gear they used when the populace got a little out of control. She received a few nods and the occasional "Morning Hopps" from a handful of officers as they continued their tasks throughout the lobby.

The welcome desk was in sight and Judy stopped for just a moment, taking in the scene, wondering why her heart seemed to have skipped a beat as she took it all in.

There stood Nick, his normal green Hawaiian shirt and tie combo had been traded in for the standard ZPD patrol uniform. Though some mammals still thought it was odd for a fox to be a cop, he did make it look good. The only thing Judy thought was odd about him was those dumb patrol glasses he seemed to be convinced to wear at all times. Whether they were sitting atop his ears or covering those handsome green eyes, it was clear that those glasses had become a staple to him.

As Judy approached she overheard the conversation between Nick and the ZPD's resident welcome party, officer Clawhauser. The lumpy cheetah was busy showing off a new app to the fox, who looked as if he would rather be looking at a rock.

"See, the last app was amazing, I mean hello, Gazelle! But this one…OH M GOODNESS!" The Cheetah explained as his chubby fingers quickly tapped away at the screen and showed the uninterested fox the result. "LOOK!"

The screen had a video of the famous singer Gazelle dancing. The app for the most part was the same as the previous one as a backup dancer with a photo shopped face appeared. The only difference this time was a second dancer appeared on the other side of Gazelle. This one had another image hastily added over the originals face.

As Judy came closer she chuckled as she noticed that one dancer had Nick's face with his standard uninterested grin. The other dancer had an image of Judy's face. Her smile and purple eyes wide with cheerfulness, which was the norm for almost all her pictures.

"Wow, you two make a great team….Nocholos Will dee and Judee Hopes!" The app blurted out in a robotic voice, completely butchering the duos name.

"Wow…that's…something.." Nick muttered, slowly sipping coffee from a BucksBucks coffee cup.

Judy quickly skipped up to the desk, about to make her presence known to the two. However she paused for just a moment. Nervous about what to say to Nick. Not wanting to give away that anything was wrong. Worried that the slightest out of place thing could give him a hint to the dream she had just witnessed the night before.

'Okay, easy Judy…nothing odd going on. Just say good morning and he won't know a thing' Her inner voice instructed her.

What followed next would be the most awkward greeting in the history of the ZPD.

"Morning Champ!" Judy practically shouted in excitement as she approached Nick. She quickly closed her hand in a fist and was about to give him a playful slug on the arm. As she did this Nick, Clawhauser, and anyone in a 20ft radius of the reception desk slowly turned to look at Judy.

"Champ..?" Was all Nick could say as his body turned to face Judy. As he turned Judy missed his arm she had been intending to hit and instead managed to punch the white BucksBucks paper cup causing a splash of coffee to land right on Nick's shirt. The sudden surprise wardrobe addition caused Nick to let the cup go, it flew in a perfect ark landing in the trashcan next to the reception desk.

Judy just stood frozen. Taking in all the damage she had just done. Her fist still out in the open, inches from where the coffee cup had once been in Nick's hand. Her eyes slowly scanned Nick's shirt. The coffee stain like a giant blob on his shirt. Her eyes slowly went up to take in his expression. A look of pure shock spread across the fox's face as he looked down at his shirt then at Judy.

"heh..heh..uhh..how ya doing today sport?" Was all she could say. She felt every pair of eyes in the room staring at her. The room oddly silent, the only noise was from Clawhauser phone as the app continued to play. 'What the hell Hopps?!' Judy thought as she felt her cheeks go warm and her ears turning a slight red as her body began to give off all the terrible signals to everyone that she had not intended any of that.

"I've been better" Muttered Nick as he slowly lowered his arms and brushed his shirt off. Trying to get some of the coffee off in vain. "How are you?" He asked in sarcastic tone as he slowly brought his green eyes back up to her.

"I'm peachy" Judy blurted out as her smile continued to falter, showing just how mortified she actually was. Well aware that many eyes in the room were still on her.

"Well that's just great." Nick shot back in a similar tone to Judy's, not even trying to hide the fact he was mimicking her, placing his hands on his hips and leaning down to be eye level with her. He obviously intended to continue to berate her for the sudden coffee attack when suddenly his nose started to twitch. "Maybe its just the lack of sleep or the lack of coffee…but you seem different..you smell.." Nick began to say, his nose continuing to twitch. Trying to take in her scent in order to figure out what was different.

'The shower! We didn't use soap! We were goanna jog and then shower! We didn't! We still smell like our bed….our bed that was covered in juices! And not the fun carrot flavored kind!' She thought, beginning to panic. 'Think of something! Quick!"

Judy's wide purple eyes scanned for a way out. Anything to cover the smell of sexual desire. Her eyes fell upon a mug with a little smiling donut on it, sitting at Clawhauser desk. Her ears twitched and pointed to the mug. She grabbed the warm mug as if it were a life preserver. Without thinking of another option she quickly took the mug, raised it over her head, and poured its contents onto herself.

If everyone was shocked about what had happened to the coffee cup, they were even more so at what they had just witnessed the bunny do. From her perky ears all the way to her strong rabbits feet Judy was covered in a warm brown liquid. The only sound in the giant hall was the gazelle app which chose that moment to blurt out, "Wow JUDEE HOPES…you are so smooth"

"Its my new perfume.." Judy said with a wide grin, trying her best to play off the insane move she had just pulled. She smacked her lips and ran her tongue along her lips. Still trying her best to play it cool she turned to Clawhauser and in the calmest voice she could muster ,"what kind of coffee is this Benny?". The cheetah sitting at the reception desk slowly l sucked some air between his teeth his words almost in a whisper, "its actually hot chocolate.."

"Oh thank you Benny" Judy said as she slowly returned her gaze back to Nick. Meanwhile her inner voice screamed. Telling her to run, hide, jump into a garbage can! Anything but just standing there looking at Nick with her lips beginning to quiver. She could feel her ears begin to droop and tried her best to keep her composure. The smile starting to show some strain.

She was then given a reminder as to why Nick was not only her partner, but her greatest friend. He began to chuckle. His lips slowly curling into a smile. The chuckle then evolved into a steady laugh as he turned to Clawhauser who stood there looking somewhat worried. "Hey Benny, drinks are on us" Nick let out between snorts. His thumb flipping between him and Judy. Benny just rolled his eyes and started to giggle, the laughter becoming contagious. Soon the few mammals in earshot were chuckling at Nick's cheesy comments and began to continue with their business. Several heading to the bullpen to prepare for the briefing that would hopefully explain what exactly was happening out on the streets of Zootopia.

"Come on sport, let's go figure out what trouble Buffalo butt needs us to bail him out of" Nick teased, making sure to emphasize the nickname Judy had foolishly used earlier.

"Sounds good Nick.." Judy muttered. Wanting so bad to apologize for what had just transpired. She bit her tongue though, there would be time later. For now it was just best to let him have his fun and wait for the right moment.

As the two coffee and chocolate covered officers headed to the bullpen Judy slowly regained the skip in her step as she walked next to her partner who continued to make coffee related jokes.

As the pair walked side by side to the briefing area Judy couldn't help but steal a glance or two of her partner. Unfortunately for her Nick picked up on her actions. "what?! Is there something on my shirt?" he asked jokingly, looking down and scanning the coffee stained uniform.

"oh no Nick, your good!" She playfully shot back a large grin forming as her purple eyes softened. Then her expression changed to one slightly more serious, "listen Nick…im sorry for," she began but as she looked up into those emerald eyes of his she saw a look of warmth that told her that words were not necessary. She closed her mouth and just nodded.

'okay, so that could have gone better' the voice inside her chimed in, 'but it could have gone a whole lot worse'

And with that the pair stepped into the bullpen. Both unaware the mood was about to drastically change.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A new start.

Normally the briefing room was full of a certain energy. Officers goofing around, the occasional arm wrestling match, even a few jokes thrown around to lighten the mood at the start of shift. Today however was different. Only a few of the officers were chatting. Their voices low and filled with concern. No one could remember the last time an alert had gone out like this calling in all units.

Judy and Nick strolled up to the front of the room and took their regular seat in the front row, sharing one of the extra-large chairs. As they sat down the large Rhino next to them began to sniff the air and slowly turned towards the two, giving them a concerned look.

"New cologne" Nick said casually, meeting the rhinos gaze with a confident smirk as if this was just a normal occurrence. "Hopps got it for me, she also has a new fragrance herself" At this point Judy began to giggle, giving Nick a playful nudge in the ribs, "Stop, it's embarrassing enough as it is without you drawing attention" She whispered.

"What? I enjoy the surprise gift of new odor my cute carrots got me!" Nick said while making kissy faces towards Judy. Normally Judy would correct Nick, as she had many times before, that he shouldn't call her cute. However this time the words caused a different emotion to flare up deep inside. She didn't want to yell at him, she didn't even want to give him a jab in the side. She could feel her cheeks get warm and her long gray ears gave off the slightest twitch she prayed went unnoticed by her partner.

She had to say something, the silence was starting to get to long. She glanced up at Nick who sat staring down at her, waiting for some kind of response. Fortunately at that moment the hippo sergeant at the front of the room stood at attention and ordered the rest of the room to do the same, "Attention!" He bellowed as the door near the front of the room blew open. A large water buffalo stomped into the room. His very presence seemed to demand respect.

Even with the tense atmosphere the room still filled with howls and stomping for the chief. Judy and Nick stood on their chair as everyone else rose to welcome in their leader. Bogo strolled up to the podium at the front of the room and scanned his officers. Judy could swear she saw a grin on his face as his eyes met hers.

After solving the night howler case he had warmed up to the bunny. He had even apologized for the way he had treated her when she first arrived. He himself had faced some hardships when he first joined the force. A non-predator had never been a very high ranking individual in the service till he came along. Yet he had worked hard and ignored what others said or tried to do to impede rise. He admitted that sometimes it is easy to forget where you came from. He promised to be a better leader for her.

"All right, shut it!" The chief bellowed. A silence slowly fell over the room as everyone took their seats and stared up to the front, anxious for information.

"I am not gonna waist any of your time, because that would be a waste of my time," Bogo started off. "There was another attack last night in Sahara square at 0130 hours. It would appear to be another night howler attack," The chief trailed off as he turned to a large monitor at the front of the room. "Amazingly we have a video of the incident that had been caught on the victims camera.."

Bogo raised a remote towards the monitor and after navigating through some files a video appeared on screen. The images were of two mammals, a male zebra wearing a Gazelle shirt and a female cheetah wearing a hoodie with 'Try everything" written across in bright colors. It appeared from the angle of the image the two were creating a selfie video. Judy noticed the logo for an app called vine-vids in the lower corner of the screen. The app took short videos of the users who could post them online to make stories or silly shorts for their friends.

Bogo looked back at his officers and took in a deep breath, without looking at the screen he hit another button and the video began to play.

"Wooooo!" The zebra shouted! "Hey guys it's me Jerry! Just had an amazing time tonight watching that angel gazelle totally rock it! Best part was got to see it with the bestest cheetah out there!" At these words the cheetah on screen closed her eyes and brought her face up against her friends and began to nuzzle it playfully

"You all should have seen the moves Angie was throwing out there!" Jerry teased. At this the cheetah opened her eyes and began to laugh. "Hey, watch it, I am quiet proud of my moves! I bet I could even out do one of those dancers she's got!" Angie shot back to her friend, giving him a shove.

The two began to laugh placed their arms around each other's shoulders. Judy glanced over at Nick, feeling a pang of want. The video reminding her of the vivid dream she had had the night before. She wanted to reach out to him at that moment for some reason. Just hold his hand, touch his shoulder, anything! Instead she just looked back at the video.

Even though everyone in the room knew this video was about to turn bad there were still a few gasps as to what they all witnessed next.

As the two friends on screen continued to joke and laugh Angie suddenly shrieked with shock as her head went forward slightly for some unknown reason. A small whooshing and a pop being the only evidence that something had hit her from behind.

"You ok?!" Jerry asked, a look of concern washed over his face as he checked on his friend.

"What the hell was that?" Angie asked quickly as she rubbed the back of her neck with a paw. As she brought the paw back into view everyone could see a blue liquid covering her fur. "What is this shit?"

"I don't know! Someone must have pegged you!" The zebra said with some anger forming in his tone. Jerry could be seen looking behind Angie into the darkness, trying to figure out who the culprit was.

As the zebra looked around Angie could still be seen on screen starting to cough, her shoulders twitching slightly, her eyes forced shut. When Jerry noticed his friend's behavior her quickly put an arm on her shoulder, "Angie…you ok?"

The video ended at this point. Judy felt a mix of emotions stewing inside of her. She wanted more: More information, more video, more of anything! She had to know what happened.

She didn't have to wait long as Bogo took in a deep sigh and looked forlornly at his officers. "Mr. Jerry Stripson is currently in critical condition at Sahara Regional."

They all had to deal with some bad calls here and there. Every officer knew that each day could be the last for one of them or citizen. That didn't mean any of them were immune to what they had all just witnessed. Several growls rumbled from the back of the room and a few officers could be seen shaking their heads.

Judy's ears twitched when she felt nicks paw on her shoulder. She in looked up to see a concern in his eyes. She hadn't realized it until now but she was shaking all over, her eyes watery and red. She knew this was part of the job, that one day she would have to handle cases like this. She had just hoped she would be able to stop it from happening. She gave a small sniff, rubbed her eyes, and nodded at Nick. Judy placed a paw on Nicks that was still resting on her shoulder. Giving it a squeeze and then turning back to Bogo, Nick took the hint and didn't let go.

"Now the facts." Bogo said in a stern and authoritative tone. Everyone in the room seemed to sit up straighter at this point, emotions being put in the back of everyone's minds.

"We have two individuals involved with this. One is currently laying on a bed fighting for his life. The other is in protective custody." As Bogo spoke the screen behind him had an image of Angie appear. The smiling young cheetah they had seen before was a shell of herself. Her eyes were red and the fur beneath them matted and discolored from her makeup she had obviously been sobbing. There was still a light red stain around her muzzle and her nose was scratched up.

"You locked her up?!" Nick shouted from the front row before anyone else could speak. Judy felt his paw slip from her shoulder as the angered fox stood up in his chair and pointed at the picture of the distraught cheetah.

"WILDE SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!" Bogo roared. Nick slowly returned to his seat but the warmth from his eyes were gone, instead they were like daggers, trying to pierce through the buffalo that stood before them.

"As I was saying, we have Angelia Tops in protective custody. She is currently being treated at Sahara regional as well, officers McGrath and Thompson are with her." Bogo stated matter a fact, his eyes falling on Nick for a moment, a look of anger flashed for a moment across his face.

"The egg heads have confirmed that this was indeed a night howler attack. However this one is different" Bogo began to explain as the screen behind him went blank. "They are still working out some of the details but all they can confirm is this is something new!" Bogo finished as he opened a binder and pulled out a roster.

"Now we are to focus as much resources as we can on this, I want this handled quickly and quietly. Some of you will be assigned to extra patrol details until further notice. No office time, I want as many of you on the street as I can spare. We aren't just worried about more attacks we need to be concerned with the general public and their reaction to all this. City Hall is on my ass about this and I don't want a riot on my plate too!" Bogo continued to explain the battle plan to the officers in the room.

"What's with city Hall always being on his ass, I mean what do they know about his buffalo butt that we don't?" Nick whispered into Judy's ear. She giggled as she nudged his side, trying to quiet him "what does he have up there? " Nick continued with a smirk. Judy looked up at him and put a finger to his lips. She couldn't help but grin at this point. He always knew how to lighten the mood and keep a steady head. She found her eyes lingering on his lips, her heart rate increasing. "Uhh carrots?" Nick said between pressed lips. Judy realized her finger was still on his lips and enough time had passed turn what she was doing from playful to awkward.

"Oh sorry Nick.. Got distracted!" she whispered as she withdrew her finger and looked away, her ears getting warm again. This was happening way too much lately. She had to get a hold of herself! Before she could say anything she heard chief Bogo clear his throat to ensure everyone was paying attention.

The Chief began to read off names in sets and then giving that group assignments. Most of them were just given a region of the city to begin patrolling. Each group would stand up and leave when they were assigned. Finally there were just four mammals left, all of them in the front row.

"McHorn and Rolio I want you two to find everything you can about this night howler flower. Where is it sold, who buys it, and how much of it is in the city." Bogo said as the Rhino next to Judy stood up along with a timber wolf to his right. Both nodded and headed for the door.

Bogo waited for them to leave the room. When the door finally clicked shut Bogo took two long steps forward and slammed his fists on the table in front of Nick. Unfortunately Judy was sitting so close she felt like the rage was directed towards her as well.

"Next time you want to throw out accusations in the middle of my briefing remember this. This city has a whole bunch of cars that need tickets and I can easily find a replacement partner for Hopps!" Bogo growled down at the Fox.

Judy's felt fear run through her body at the thought of losing Nick as a partner. Nick was about to stand up and shout something back at Bogo but froze when he felt Judy's gentle paw on his leg. Nick looked over and saw the emotions in Judy's in eyes and sighed. Relaxing slightly and looking down at the table "sure boss", was all he could say. "Can I make accusations after briefing though?" he muttered, unable to help himself as a sly grin crossed his face.

'Why does he always have to push it?" Judy screamed internally. Her eyes going from Bogo to Nick and the back to Bogo.

"Are you sure I can't find you someone else Hopps? Maybe another fox? Heard there was another one at the Academy right now!" Bogo asked, his gaze turning to Judy with a pleading look.

"I'll think about it chief. I could always trade him in for a newer Model." Judy chimed In playfully.

"Oh great your corrupting her.. "Bogo muttered as he slowly stood back up. Judy couldn't believe that Bogo was so calm after what Nick had just said. What was going on here? Normally he would be tearing into Nick! Yelling and threatening to have him on parking duty for a week. Right now though, something was off.

"I want you two to take lead on this case." Bogo started to speak, snapping Judy back into reality. "Head over to Sahara regional and interview Ang… Ms. Tops about what happened." Bogo placed a folder on the table in front of Nick and Judy. "That's everything we have so far on the attack. Witness statements, medical reports, and the report of the first officers on scene are all there."

Bogo's tone was hiding something that Judy's ears managed to pick up on, it was sadness, but not the kind that seemed appropriate for what was going on. Her ears gave a slightly twitch that didn't go unnoticed. "Chief.. What is it?" Judy asked as she scooted closer in her seat.

"Nothing Hopps, nothing important. What is important is that you and your no good partner get to Sahara regional and solve this case!" with that Bogo took several quick steps and exited the room. Leaving Judy and Nick alone in the bullpen.

"So would now be a good time to ask what that scene at Benny's desk was about?" Nick asked as he slowly turned to face Judy. Judy didn't move, she just sat there with a meek smile while looking straight ahead, wishing she could just burst into flames.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Lingering thoughts

Judy dashed through the halls, darting between officers and furniture. A slight look of panic in her eyes as she glanced behind her. Nick turned the corner and looked around, spotting Judy he began to run after her once more.

"Get back here!" Nick shouted at his partner who was already turning another corner. An illuminated sign indicating where the locker rooms were shined above. 'Almost there!' Judy thought, as she zoomed by a confused looking polar bear.

'There it is!' Judy's intended target came into view as she turned another corner. The female locker room was straight ahead. She looked at it as if it were a sanctuary from some evil forces. She could hear panting behind her and smirked, knowing that Nick was too far behind to catch her.

With one last burst of speed Judy dove through the doors and into the female only locker room. Pausing a moment to catch her breath. She heard Nick come to a halt on the other side of the door.

"Are you kidding me? What are we in grade school?" She could hear the agitated fox groan from the other side of the door.

"Come in and get me then?" Judy shot back, a wicked smile forming on her face as she turned to look at the door. There was a few seconds of silence and then she heard Nick's response.

"No…im good…ill just see you at fleet pick up." He grumbled, "But this isn't over, you better have a good reason for this mornings coffee attack!" With that Judy's ears picked up the foxes retreat. She let out a relieved sigh and turned around only to realize that a handful of female officers had witnessed the whole interaction.

Judy's ears drooped as she scanned the room a weak smile on her face, "Long story.." She muttered. This seemed to be enough for the group before her as they continued to get dressed and ready for shift.

Judy trotted down to a row of smaller lockers made for the shorter mammals in the department. The ZPD had a large number of smaller mammals in the support staff and dispatch departments so Judy didn't have trouble when she received a locker assignment. No giant green door to scale, or a massive room like space for her to throw her clothes in. Instead she walked up to a perfectly sized locker and entered her combination.

Inside were a few spare uniforms, soaps, shampoo, and anything else she might need to get through a last minute wardrobe change. Judy began to undress and threw her chocolate covered clothes in a spare bag she kept in the locker for dirty laundry. She grabbed some soap and shampoo, strolled down the line of lockers, and into the showers.

No one else was utilizing the showers at this time so she had the area all to herself. She turned on one of the smaller shower units and stepped under the stream of water when the temperature was to her liking. She knew she was on a time constraint but that didn't stop her from taking a few seconds to just run her paws over her head, bringing her black tipped ears behind her, and placing her face underneath the gentle stream of the shower.

Her mind was still racing from all the events that had occurred this morning. It was proving to be a very taxing day already. She had to take a deep breath and just clear her mind. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the floor. A pool of light brown water appeared, a faint smell of chocolate reached her nose. She couldn't help but giggle nervously.

"What am I gonna tell him?" She muttered softly to herself.

"The truth.." She answered herself and closed her eyes again. She couldn't just hide this forever. It was very obvious to her she couldn't! The last time she did Nick had coffee thrown on him and she ended up covered in a chocolaty beverage.

'It would be better to just get it out there, explain why you are acting weird, and figure out what to do from here' She thought. She felt a pang of dread at the thought of having such an awkward conversation with Nick but knew it had to be done. Otherwise who knew what she may pour on her body next time!

As Judy's mind wandered to what she was going to say she grabbed her soap and began to lather her gray fur until she had a nice soapy film all over her trim body. 'He would be so lucky to have a rabbit like me after him anyways' She thought as she slowly ran her paws down her slender frame. Her eyes glanced around making sure no other officers were around.

'Look at me!' She thought confidently. Her paws slowly rubbing away the soapy film from her fur. She felt the strong muscles of her legs and flexed them slightly. She then ran her paws up past her stomach and over her wet breasts. She smirked. 'I am one sexy badass bunny' She thought confidently.

Her mind went back to times back home in Bunny Burrow. There were quite a few male rabbits there that had tried to win her affection on several occasions. She of course was always too focused on her studies to become an officer that she had found it annoying at the time. Now however she cherished the memories and enjoyed the thought of being wanted in such a manner.

"Yes you are" She heard Nicks voice in her mind compliment her. This caused a shiver to run down her body. She could feel a sudden rush of excitement at the thought of Nick inspecting her naked form, taking in the image of the slender bunny, seeing her in ways no one had before.

She felt a familiar sensation begin to start down between her legs. The sudden urge to please herself in public place like this made her blush, "Oh you are a bad bunny.." She whispered as one of her paws slowly wander down her body once more, coming to a stop between her legs.

"NO" She said quickly. Her eyes widening as she snapped back into reality. 'There is no time right now, we got places to be' She thought to herself, feeling slightly disappointed in her responsible side.

She grabbed some shampoo and lathered her fur once more, rinsed herself down, and shut the shower off. 'Get it together Hopps!' She shouted at herself internally. She exited the showers and grabbed a towel. Strolling over to her locker. She quickly dried her fur off. As she ran the towel up one of her ears she giggled, not just at the feeling she felt from her ears but also the thought of what she had almost done.

'What the hell is going on with me' she thought as she continued to giggle. 'What did I almost do? At work?' She had to get control of herself, this was getting ridiculous.

She grabbed a brush from her locker and brushed all her fur down until she felt she was presentable. With that she grabbed a spare uniform and dressed quietly, lost in her thoughts. She would have to get a new vest she thought, noting that the protective armor was still sticky and smelled like chocolate. Fortunately for her the company that made her particular body armor only sold them in sets of 5. So there would be a spare at requisitions.

She didn't bother putting the armor on. Instead she slung it over her shoulder. She closed her locker and passed a large mirror. She stopped and gave herself a quick inspection. Ensuring her uniform met the patrol standards. She took a moment to take in the reflection in the mirror. She let out a confident sigh and then strolled out of the locker room.

Nick was nowhere in sight, he had obviously headed to the male locker room to clean himself off. Judy decided to hit up requisitions before heading to the motor pool. She was going to need that new armor before hitting the streets.

The halls traffic was starting to pick up now that the day shift units had gotten into the swing of things. Though most officers were now on patrol in the street per Bogo's orders there was still a lot of activity in the ZPD. Support staff were running around, performing their daily tasks. A few officers wandered around, some escorting suspects.

Judy went through a large set of double doors that read "Officers Only". Though the ZPD was normally full of officers, occasionally civilians found themselves wandering the halls. It was important to still have reminders that certain areas were off limits. This was one of those zones.

The room didn't look like much. There were a few empty tables, some chairs against the walls, posters all over about equipment safety and upkeep. On the other side of the room from the double doors was a large window with an armored door next to it. A wolf was standing at the counter in the window fiddling with a series of springs.

"Good morning Ty!" Judy said as she bounded over to a chair, pushing it over to the window and hoping up so she could be level with the counter.

The wolf stopped what he was doing and looked down at the bunny, his lips forming into a happy smirk. "Judy! What can I do for you today?" He said warmly.

Ty had been part of a special response team years ago but had been seriously wounded in the line of duty. He had opted to stay with the ZPD and work as the armory master. He was known for being very gruff with most officers. However he had instantly shown a liking Judy, offering her advice and assistance when necessary. She had her suspicions that it was because like her many thought he didn't serve a purpose anymore. However like her, he loved proving people wrong. They shared a form of comradery in that regard.

"I was wondering if you had a spare set of class R body armor lying around back there?" Judy asked as she placed her chocolate coated armor on the counter.

Judy looked nervously at her old vest and then back to Ty, the wolf's nose twitching slightly. "you go for a dip in a candy factory or something?" he asked as he looked from the soiled vest, then back to Judy.

"something like that.. I'm sorry Ty.." she mumbled softly.

"No worry Hopps, I gotcha covered". With that Ty turned around and walked out of Judy's view, a slight limp in his steps. Behind the counter Judy could see aisles and aisles of shelf and equipment. Weapons, vests, helmets, tools, you name it Ty had it.

A minute or two later the wolf walked back into view carrying a small box. "So here is what I got" Ty said as he opened the box and slowly pulled out a completely different and new vest placing it on the counter before Judy. It was a slightly darker blue and it had a streamlined look about it.

"We had to return the last box because I had some issues with the design. I had them ship me some specialty materials and then went to work on creating you a proper tact vest" Ty started to explain.

Judy could already tell this would be good. Ty's years on the response team had definitely inspired the new vest she saw in front of her.

"We made it lighter for you. Got rid of the shield holes and traded it in for a ZPD patch. No point in being weighed down by some gold trinket." Ty pointed at where her badge would normally go, a patch version stitched neatly in place. She did like her badge and loved how it felt on her, but this could be interesting. "You can of course still put your shield on your belt if want something shiny for everyone to see." Ty continued.

"Got rid of those old straps on the side as well. Went with a new Velcro. It may wear out faster but it saves on weight and is more form fitting" the wolf explained while pointing to the sides. "Plus the straps don't completely cover the Velcro material so you can attach spare exterior pockets and what not."

Ty then flipped the vest over so Judy could see the back. She let out a small gasp and her eyes shined with delight. On the back of the vest in large reflective white letters was a single word: POLICE

Judy couldn't explain it but seeing something made just for her with those words written across made her swell with pride. All of Ty's hard work made her sniff a little bit as she looked up at the old wolf.

"Oi, I will have none of that!" He barked at her, waving his hands around, "save that stuff for Bogo during raise time!"

Judy nodded and wiped a tear from her eyes. She then took the new vest and placed it over her chest. It did feel lighter and the new straps hugged her shoulders a little tighter. She felt like a whole new bunny as she looked down and inspected the piece of protective clothing.

"Thanks Ty! I love it!" She said as she hoped on the counter and grabbed the wolf by the neck, pulling him into a hug. To her surprise she heard the wolf chuckle and felt one of his paws pat her back.

"alright alright, your welcome.. Now don't you go telling everyone I am making custom gear or I'll have a line out the door!" Ty said with a chuckle as Judy hoped from the counter.

"I won't, thanks again Ty" she said happily as she headed out the double doors. She felt different in the new vest and puffed her chest out confidently as she skipped through the halls to the motor pool.

She reached another set of doors that read "Garage access". She struggled to push the heavy doors open, when she was through she scanned the busy garage. One section was dedicated to maintenance, Sparks could be seen flying occasionally and loud bangs were common. The other section had a long row of different police vehicles. Several looked like they should be in an army arsenal somewhere.

Judy scanned the garage and spotted her partner, his orange fur standing out in the gray garage filled with black and white vehicles. The fox was having a conversation with one of the sergeants in charge of the fleet of ZPD vehicles.

The sergeant, a Gruff looking Zebra Named William, nodded in Judy's direction as the bunny hopped up to the pair of chatting officers.

"Well well, if it isn't my candy coated partner!" nick teased, his eyes scanning the new vest, "and looks like she is all dressed up for the ball." He said, noting the bunnies' new vest.

"Oh hush, your just jealous you don't look this good" Judy shot back and gave her fox partner a wicked grin. "It's the new standard issued vest for rabbit officers!" she said, bending the truth slightly to protect Ty's rep.

"well you certainly look good Hopp's!" William complimented Judy with a nod.

"Careful Will, she may look all sweet and innocent, but put a coffee in her hand and she is a lethal killing machine!" Nick exclaimed playfully putting an arm out as if to defend himself from a vicious attack.

"har har. " Judy mumbled and blushed slightly.

William just chuckled and shook his head, "she too much for you to handle there Nick?" he shot at the Fox who in turn looked at the Zebra and laughed, "she's too much for the whole ZPD to handle!" he teased. At this point both of them started to laugh. Even Judy chuckled at the jokes made at her expense.

"well if you two ladies are done, we need a vehicle to go and save the city!" she exclaimed, bringing everyone back into reality.

"Already taken care of carrots." Nick said as he Jang led a pair of keys in front of her, "and if you promise to behave I may let you control the radio!" he said as he dashed towards a waiting truck that looked more like a tank than a patrol car.

Judy cursed under her breath, she always preferred to be the driver, but the rule was first mammal with the keys got to drive. She Chased after him, "hope you like pop then you dumb fox!" she shouted after him.

As she reached the driver's side of the truck she used her strong legs to leap into the air and slide across the hood. A new kind of confidence had found its way into the bunny. She jumped into the passenger seat and clicked the radio on as a bemused looking Nick put the keys into the ignition.

"Really carrots? What are you, super bunny cop?" he said, referring to the very Un-Judy hood slide.

Judy just stuck out her tongue and closed her eyes, teasing her partner.

As Nick put the truck into drive and pulled out of the garage a familiar song began to play over the radio. Judy squealed as Gazelle serenaded the pair from the speakers.

Today had already proven to be very taxing, Judy thought as she looked out the window the sunlight washing over the car between massive sky scrapers. However it had also been very exciting.

As she turned to look over at Nick she let out a satisfied sigh. This was the life she had chosen, there was no turning back now.

"So fluffy butt, how about you actually so some work around here and call us in route." Nick said as he said his patrol glasses over his green eyes. "You got it shades." Judy playfully shot back. Judy reached for the radio handset and grasped it firmly in her paw, informing dispatch their status and destination.

'Alright' she thought to herself,' here we go again.'


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Traffic Talk

Zootopia was awake. The early morning sun showered the city in a warm glow as the citizens began to fill the streets. Some were rushing through the crowds on their way to work. Others wandered through the metropolis to run errands, do some shopping, or meet friends.

The sidewalks weren't the only part of the city that seemed to be crowded however. Traffic was currently at a standstill on the main road to Sahara Square. Judy unlocked her phone and opened a traffic app, it was easier than trying to get a hold of someone at dispatch, and traffic updates were probably the least of anyone's worries this morning.

Judy sighed as she saw a series of red lines fill her phones screen, informing her of the impending traffic. "Looks like we are gonna be at least another 20 minutes or so," She grumbled. If there was one thing the fast little rabbit hated about Zootopia, it was the traffic. How could the day get any worse?

"No worries, that will give us plenty of time," Nick started, one hand on the wheel, the other hung out the window lazily," you know, to discuss this morning's interesting hot chocolate fashion show"

That's how, that is how it could get worse.

Judy felt her heart rate sky rocket as she desperately tried to think of a way out of this particular conversation. Maybe she could make a run for it through the traffic, maybe if she broke the window and hailed a cab!

'Maybe if you poured hot chocolate on yourself!' Her inner voice suggested. Great even her brain was against her now.

"It's nothing, I am just having an off day," Judy said plainly. She couldn't even bring her to look at her partner, her gaze remained towards her window.

"An off day?" Nick did his best not to burst out laughing, "No an off day is when you forget your house keys, or you accidently fill out the wrong form!"

Judy winced, knowing full well that Nick had a point. Judy let the morning events play over in her head. In hindsight pouring the hot chocolate over her may have been a bit extreme.

"My mind has just been kinda off bouncing all over." Judy sighed.

"Don't you mean hopping?" Nick shot back playfully. He received a quick punch in the arm for that one. "Ow No distracting the driver!"

'You want distracting, I can give you distracting!' her inner voice said with a hint of lust. Judy's eyes glanced at Nick's lap then back at his to his face. She quickly shook her head, banishing the dirty thoughts from her mind.

"Ok, you want the truth? " Judy let out nervously. She could feel her stomach already forming into a knot.

"Either that or a story involving bikini clad vixens." Nick said as he flipped the vehicles turn signal on, merging into the exit lane for Sahara square, finally exiting the jammed sea of cars.

"Well no such luck on the vixens there bucko," Judy said plainly. Though that may have been easier given the alternative of spilling her guts about what had been going on with her.

"I had this dream you see" she started. She could feel her cheeks going warm, her ears dropping, and now the butterflies in her stomach were throwing up. "And it involved.. Us.. "

"Ok, how so? " Nick said in a slightly interested tone. His eyes had to stay on the road, but she could see how he stole the occasional glance her way.

"Well we were walking back from the Gazelle concert, remember the one they threw a while back?" Judy said, clearing her throat when she felt a stutter starting to form.

"Gonna have to be more descriptive there carrots, I go to a lot of gazelle concerts," Nick teased.

'Does he ever turn off?' she thought, 'no. And that's part of the reason we like him. '

"Oh I bet you do!" she giggled, feeling a little bit better. She could always depend on Nick to help get through problems by using his sense of humor. The laughter helped her regain some confidence. She had to remind herself who she was talking to.

Nick and Judy had been through so much together in such a short time. She could easily say that the fox was her best friend, and though he may tease her she had a feeling the feeling was mutual. As her partner she trusted him with her life and had been doing so for almost a year now.So she didn't have anything to worry about, right?

"Well remember how you walked me to my apartment, which was really nice of you, and then you proceeded to critique my apartment?" Judy continued on, feeling slightly more confident.

"The shoebox you live in, yes I remember. " Nick said back quickly, as her gave Judy a grin.

"Well in my dream we didn't go into the apartment.. We stood outside and well..we, " Judy started to explain but was cut off by her apartment.

"Fucked like rabbits on the welcome mat!" Nick said matter a fact. His face expressionless.

There was a sudden silence in the car as they pulled up to a traffic light just before Sarah a squares main promenade. The two partners looked at each other for a second and then both burst out laughing.

"What the hell Nick?" Judy said in between breathes. Holding the stitch in her side as tears filled her eyes.

"What? I bet dream me is great in the sack….Or floor mat!" Nick continued, laughing hard at his own comments.

The light before them turned green and Nick began to drive through the streets. Once they passed a large building made of sun bleached rocks the mood in the truck changed. The pair of officers fell silent as they saw crowds and crowds of mammals. Some with signs while others held banners. Most of them were prey species. Several of them shouting from mega phones.

A great deal of the sidewalk parking was taken up by police vehicles, some with their strobes flashing in an attempt to warn vehicle traffic to be cautious. Officers stood around the crowd trying to maintain some form of control.

"I thought we were through with this. " Nick muttered as they drove by a group of sheep holding a banner. "It only takes a flower!" the banner read. Many of the other signs and banners had a similar message.

Though the city was aware of the Night Howler case and how the predators were turned savage against their will, it was obvious they were not happy with the circumstances of the latest attack.

"Geeze…" Judy whispered as she saw a pair of rabbits holding up signs with images of a night howler flower in the mouth of a hastily drawn lion, the sign next to it had a rabbit surrounded by a pool of blood, little X's covering its eyes. Judy shook her head as she glared at the rabbits who could be seen shouting at a large tiger in a ZPD uniform, the tiger's paws were up in front of his chest, trying his best to calm everyone.

As the large ZPD vehicle turned a corner Judy was relieved to see the protest seemed to be exclusive to the main square. As they approached Sahara regional hospital Judy noticed a few squad cars parked in front with a handful of officers lingering at the front doors.

Nick parked the truck in the parking lot next to the hospital and pulled the keys from the ignition. Before Judy could exit she felt one of nicks paws on her own. She turned to look over at her partner, "I think we need to continue that last conversation over some drinks, agreed?" he said as he placed his sunglasses atop his ears.

Judy grinned, she felt happy that he wanted to pursue a conversation about this and not just brush it aside, it gave her some hope. "It's a date." She said happily.

"Woah, calm down carrots!" he teased as he opened his door and hopped out of the truck, "and if you think I'm going to bed with you, you should know I'm not that easy" he said as he closed the door.

Judy sat for a second and chuckled. Even after seeing the crowds in the square Judy couldn't help but smile. Nick had that effect on her. Before she stepped out of the vehicle however a look of concern crossed her face. "Wait.. Do I have a date?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: No forgiveness

Nick and Judy strolled up to the entrance of the hospital. Two officers were assigned to the front entrance a rhino and a lion, both of which scanned the pedestrians and vehicles that passed by. When Nick and Judy approached they both nodded. The rhino explained what the status of the facility was. They had orders to stand guard in case the protesters started heading over their way. Otherwise they were to stand by and not deny access to anyone, after all it was still a working hospital and it cared for many of the mammals in the district.

"Any problems at all?" Nick asked as he glanced at a pair of sheep heading into the hospital, one with an obvious limp.

"No sir, we have been pretty lucky, don't think anyone at the protest want to cause trouble, they just want to be heard." The lion whose name tags read Barnes said casually. "There is a team upstairs waiting for you, they are with Ms. Tops."

Nick and Judy looked at one another, Judy could see some apprehension in Nick's green eyes. The pair thanked the officers at the front doors and headed inside the hospital which was alive with activity. The receptionist, a kind spoken antelope, gave them directions to the room they were seeking.

The pair grabbed an elevator to the 4th floor. Standing in an awkward silence. Judy could tell this case was hitting Nick somewhat harder than normal. Maybe it was the image of the cheetah they had seen earlier, maybe it was the idea that someone was causing this nightmarish scenario on purpose, or maybe it had something to do with his fellow predators being at risk. This risk wasn't just from those who were causing the attack, but also from the public which was 90% prey.

"Nick?" she began to say, taking a step closer to her partner, "you ok?"

"I'm fine carrots, just not a fan of hospitals... Always seems so full of sick mammals" he said back with a playful tone, giving her a wink. "I'm fine Judy, really."

Judy wasn't convinced but she had to leave it at that as the elevator chimed, signaling it had reached the 4th floor. The elevator doors slowly opened and revealed an almost deserted floor. The mammals in charge of the hospital were obviously a little paranoid about the circumstances around this case and had given those involved the whole floor.

Judy and Nick walked up to the nurse station by the elevator were a gray bunny in a pair of light blue scrubs was sitting, typing away at a computer. "Mr. Stripson is currently in room 402. He just came out of surgery actually, he is doing much better than previously expected but he is still in rough shape. We expect him to be awake soon." The young nurse explained. She then clicked a few buttons on the screen in front of her. "Ms. Tops is room 410, down the hall. She only suffered some minor abrasions and some bruises from the….Incident..." The nurse continued, looking up awkwardly at Nick and Judy, unsure what to call what happened. "If it means anything at all officers that poor girl has been sobbing the whole time. She couldn't control herself!"

Judy raised a hand to calm the nurse who started to sound frantic. "Ma'am it's all right, we are just here to gather information about what happened. No charges are being brought up at this time. If this is like the other night howler incidents then we will just be gathering information when the effects wear off and she is no longer in a savage state." Judy stated in a calm and professional manner.

The bunny nurse looked at Judy and then to Nick in a confused manner. "No one told you?" she asked somewhat surprised, "Ms. Tops is already back to a docile state, we never needed to give her the cure, the effects wore off when your officers arrived on the scene this morning."

This was news to both Judy and Nick Who looked at one another and then back at the bunny in disbelief. This had not happened with the previous victims of the night howler drug. All of them had to wait for an antidote to be created and administered. The fact that this was not needed at all just caused more questions to form.

"Any idea on how this happened?" Nick asked knowing it was a long shot.

The bunny behind the desk shook her head and shrugged, "sorry officers, they have some samples downstairs in the lab, last I heard they were still running tests. If you like I can give them a call and see if they have any info." The nurse offered. Judy nodded and with that the pair excused themselves from the nurse station as the bunny picked up the phone and dialed for the lab.

Judy looked up at the numbers on the doors. Noting that 402 was the one closest to the nurse station. The door was closed.

Further down the hall a Hippo in a ZPD uniform sat casually in a very strained looking chair. He looked up from the magazine head been reading and nodded towards the approaching pair. "You two been filled in on Angie's status?" he asked, quickly getting to the point of the matter.

Nick nodded slowly, "she was docile when you arrived on scene?" he asked cautiously. To which the hippo nodded. "Yes sir!"

Much to the relief of the struggling chair the Hippo slowly stood up, "Tammy has been in there the whole time comforting the poor girl" the hippo said solemnly, explaining where his partner was, "just go easy, poor kid has had a rough night."

The hippo knocked on the door and when he heard a tender voice saying it was ok to come in he slowly opened it.

As Nick and Judy stepped into the room Judy's ears twitched and drooped slightly as she heard a faint sobbing coming from the bed. A strong yet slender looking cheetah in a ZPD uniform was sitting on the bed. She was gently stroking Angie's head which was resting in the officer's lap. The officer looked up slowly and gave Nick and Judy a nod. "I am Tammy, an old friend of Angie's here." She explained, giving the reason she was breaking several protocols. Neither Judy nor Nick needed explaining, Judy knew for a fact she would be doing the same thing. Though she couldn't speak for Nick she had a feeling he would be doing the same thing.

At the sound new comers Angie slowly raised her head and wiped a few remaining tears from her eyes. A desperate look came across her face. "How's Jer?!" Angie asked between gasps as she tried to catch her breath. She was no longer in the hoodie she had worn in the video. Instead she wore a white t shirt and a pair of blue scrubs that the hospital had provided.

Nick and Judy gave each other worried glances. Judy looked back at Angie and gave a small sigh. "He just got out of surgery, it apparently went very well, he is still pretty banged up though." Judy said as she approached the distraught cheetah. Taking a seat in a chair next to the bed. "My name is Judy and this my partner Nick" Judy introduced themselves as Nick took a few steps closer to the bed. They could both tell that the young cheetah was still very distraught over the whole situation. "We just wanted to ask you a few questions about what happened last night." Judy began as she flipped a note pad open pulled out her carrot pen. Angie looked down at the rabbit and suddenly her eyes went wide.

"Wait, your that bunny that rescued all those preds before, and the one who solved the case right?" Angie said, some of the fear leaving her eyes as she recognized Judy.

Judy nodded with and gave the cheetah a small smile, "Yes ma'am, my partner and I were able to figure that one out." Judy explained, taking a quick glance at Nick who smiled and gave her a nod.

"Oh wow. I can't believe it!" Angie exclaimed, some color returning to her face, the tears seemed to have stopped as well. "I went to the concert they threw in your honor! We never miss a concert!" Angie exclaimed. A sudden look of dread came across her face, "Jer and I…we go to every one…"She muttered as she looked down at her lap and sniffed.

Judy could tell another crying episode was not far behind. She did her best to refocus the conversation, "Yeah that's right, I had a blast at that one. I'm sad I missed the one last night, where was it at again?" Judy questioned, giving Angie a friendly nod.

"It was at the Sweet Desert club..."Angie answered. She looked back up at Judy and put on a brave face. "Jerry had won tickets a while back, at least that's what he told me…these were super expensive and I think he didn't want to make me feel bad. We never miss one of Gazelles shows."

"Aww, that's so sweet." Judy couldn't help herself. This actually helped the interview as Angie began to blush and gave out a little giggle. "Was anything off at the show, maybe someone odd was there that stuck out to you?"

"No." Angie said shaking her head. "And it's like I told Tammy and Mike, I didn't notice anything really out of the ordinary on our way back to my apartment."

"In the video you two were making, did he say anything after you got hit?" Nick chimed in.

Judy looked from Nick and then back to Angie. Angie's attention was on Nick now. "Not really, I remember there were some other mammals there, and someone was cursing. I think they almost got run over or something..." Angie explained, eyeing the fox with some apprehension. Nick either didn't notice the look or chose to ignore it.

"That helps a lot! Maybe the individual responsible had bumped into someone. Or used some kind of transport to get away!" Judy exclaimed, quickly scribbling some notes down with her carrot pen.

The interview continued on. Judy asking most of the questions while Nick stood by. Angie did her best to answer everything she could but it was apparent to the officers that Angie hadn't witnessed much during the incident. Tammy remained on the bed the whole time, a tender hand on Angie's back, giving her looks of encouragement during the ordeal.

The interview was put on hold however when the bunny nurse suddenly came into the room and walked up to Angie with a look of both concern but relief.

"Jerry is awake. He is asking for you. He is room 402" The bunny said gently.

Angie suddenly sat up straight and looked at all the officers. Judy nodded, giving Angie the ok to leave. The young cheetah looked over her shoulder at Tammy who smiled, "go on sweetie." She said calmly, she then looked down at the bunny in scrubs, "Thanks Deb."

Angie practically ran through the door and down the hall. The officers followed closely behind her. The young cheetah reached the door marked 402 and slowly entered. Judy and Tammy close behind her. Before Nick and Mike could enter however the nurse turned to them, "Let's not crowd…how about you two wait out here, I'll call if we need you." She said, it was more of an order than a request. Both the male mammals looked at one another, hesitant to bring the wrath of the nurse upon themselves. They nodded and took up position outside the room.

The blinds had been drawn in the room and only a few lights were on. Judy's eyes had to adjust to the low light. She looked across the room and saw Jerry laying in one of the beds in the room, his was the only one occupied. A series of machines surrounded the wounded zebra. All of them giving off various readings and reports about the patients' health.

Angie was frozen, standing a few feet from Jerry. Judy could see the poor girls legs start to shake and the occasional sob could be heard.

Apparently Jerry could hear Angie's gasps and he slowly looked up, not raising his head off the pillow. His gaze slowly fell upon Angie who took a step closer.

"Jer…I'm so sorry..." Angie began, tears pouring down her face, her body shaking. "I'm so sorry…what I did...to you...I can't even. I don't deserve your friendship! I don't deserve forgiveness…I don't deserve anything but a harsh punishment…" She let out from quivering lips.

For what felt like an eternity to Judy there was only the hum of machinery, then finally the zebra spoke.

"You ruined my favorite gazelle shirt..."He said in a pained voice, his chest shaking slightly as he began to chuckle. "I can forgive the mauling…but that…shirt..." He said, moving his arm slightly towards Angie, giving the signal for her to come to his side.

Angie completely lost it at this point as she dove into Jerry's arms, sobbing into his bandaged shoulder. "Hey its ok…I can get another shirt..."The zebra teased weakly as his arm wrapped around his crying friend.

Judy felt a few tears well up in her eyes and looked away for a moment to adjust herself. She looked up at Officer Tammy and noticed the fellow officer standing straight up, letting a stream of tears roll down her fur, not bothering to hide her emotions. Judy respected the cheetah officer even more after that.

Angie was still sobbing, more out of joy than anything, as Jerry gently rested his head against hers. Even in his wounded state the zebra kept saying sweet things to his friend, trying his best to calm her. "It's ok Ang…it wasn't you...I was so scared...I couldn't run and leave you. I wanted to stay, I had to stay and protect you..." He whispered in the cheetahs ears.

"I don't deserve you. I don't deserve to live in the same city as you..."Angie said, tears still rolling from her eyes. She slowly sat up and looked into Jerry's eyes. It was difficult because one of his was bandaged up. She was silent for a few seconds, but slowly placed her paws on both of his cheeks. To Jerrys merit he didn't wince. Judy was impressed with the zebra. Here sitting on his bed was the creature that had caused him all this pain and suffering. He didn't seem to care about this in the slightest. Angie placed her forehead against Jerrys and let out a soft purring noise. She then leaned close and gave him a gentle kiss on the snout.

"Act cute all you want…I expect a new shirt!" Jerry mumbled.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: New Facts

Judy stood in silence as she watched the two young friends re unite. Amazed at how quickly Jerry had forgiven the cheetah who had viciously attacked him. She knew that the night howlers were to blame but it was still surprising that the wounded zebra would be so open to forgiveness this quickly. It gave Judy hope for the rest of the city, maybe if these two could get through the attacks then the rest of the city could pull together as well.

Judy's mind chose that moment to drift back to Nick and how he had played off being affected by the night howler serum. She saw the fox hunched over, the hair on his back raised. A low growl emanating from deep within him as he slowly approached Judy with his fangs bared. What if that hadn't been a trick? What if he had been truly affected by the night howler attack. What would he had done to her? Would she even be around to forgive him? Would she forgive him? '

Judy quickly pushed these thoughts from her mind, there were more important things right now that she had to handle. She took a few steps forward towards Jerry's bed and made her presence known by clearing her throat. The two mammals on the bed both looked down at her, she noticed that Angie looked like a completely different cheetah at this point. Some color had returned to the young predators features and she seemed to be holding herself with more confidence.

"Jerry, this is Judy! She is that officer who solved the night howler case before!" Angie said calmly. "She is here to help us"

Jerry looked down at the bunny and gave her an apprehensive look, "I don't intend to press any charges…this wasn't Angie's fault," He started to say, placing a hand on Angie's shoulder.

"We aren't here for that, we completely understand this was out of Ms. Tops control." Judy explained, putting her hands up defensively. "I am just here to try and get all the information I can to get the mammals responsible for this"

Jerrys expression softened at Judy's words and he gave the bunny a weak smile, "ok, in that case I am happy to help!"

With that Judy began to interview Jerry on the events of the evening. Unfortunately he didn't have much new information to give her. He explained how there didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary the whole night leading up to the attack.

"I don't remember much, it was pretty dark and my eyes had trouble adjusting after looking at my cellphone screen while shooting the video," Jerry explained while Angie looked at him encouragingly. Judy couldn't help but notice that Angie had taken one of Jerry's hands and had been holding it gently during the whole interview. Her thoughts wandered slightly from the case to a curiosity brewing deep inside her. 'Are they more than friends?' she wondered.

Though it had never actually been illegal in Zootopia, interspecies relationships had only just recently begun to pop up. It was still considered taboo by some but the majority of the city seemed indifferent to the idea. Judy had never actually met anyone in such a relationship and the thought intrigued her, now more than ever. After all she had recently been having strange emotions towards Nick that she couldn't explain. Was she the type of mammal to take part in such a relationship? What about Nick, would he be interested?

"I do remember though hearing some kind of popping noise, not like a gun, more like Air being shot from something. That's when Angie got hit I guess," Jerry continued, snapping Judy back into reality. "When I looked around I remember seeing a real bulky guy moving really fast though, almost like he was gliding on something. "Jerry muttered as he tried to remember more. "He was heading away from us though so I couldn't make out anything about him in the dark, sorry officer"

"That's OK, you have actually helped a lot, thanks!" Judy said encouragingly. She paused for a moment and looked at officer Tammy who was standing nearby. "Can I ask you two something personal, completely off the record?" Judy started to ask a little timidly.

"What's up Judy?" Angie asked with slight apprehension. Judy was glad to hear her first name, it meant Angie was comfortable with her, maybe the next question wouldn't be so awkward now.

"Well I was just curious….um about you two…I mean your relationship.. Um.. Status.." she said nervously looking between the two mammals on the bed, her eyes glancing at their hands and then over to Tammy who gave Judy a surprised but amused grin.

"Why?" Jerry asked as he eyed Judy up and down. "Would that be a problem?"

"No no no!" Judy exclaimed, raising her hands defensively, "I was just curious is all. I know someone who is kinda going through that kind of stuff and wanted to know more." She lied, trying her best to play it cool. Her eyes seemed to dart around nervously and she gave weak grin. Her ears had dropped slightly, her body obviously hated her as it gave off so many signals that something else was up they would all have to be blind to miss it.

"oh my goodness!" Tammy blurted out from the corner of the room. She looked at Judy with a knowing grin, then to the door where Judy's partner was waiting on the other side, then back to Judy. Judy's eyes went wide with panic. 'oh shit shit shit' her mind screamed, 'could put you put it on a banner next time!? That would have been less obvious!'

Angie and Jerry looked over to Tammy, back to Judy, and then to one another. "I guess we never really thought about that kind of stuff," Angie muttered shyly as she looked at Jerry who gave her a weak smile in return.

"Why worry about labels?" Jerry asked, more to Angie than anyone else in the room, "I mean you know how much you mean to me.. Do we really have to make it weird with some kind of title? Can't we just have fun and not worry? "

Angie grinned and shook her head, "I'm good with that." She said as she leaned in close and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, "course when your feeling better I'm good with a lot more." Angie whispered seductively into Jerry's ears. Though Tammy may have missed the last part Judy had not, her ears twitched as she looked at the floor, her cheeks feeling warm. Jerry let out a sudden laugh and then winced, grabbing his side.

Everyone in the room froze as Deb, who had chosen to remain at the door quietly, suddenly hopped to the bed and checked some of the equipment. "I think it's time for somebody to get some rest!" the little bunny announced as she hopped up onto the bed and examined Jerry's bandages. "You will be fine, you just need a lot of recovery time."

"Can I stay with him? Angie asked pleasingly, but Deb shook her head, "sorry sweetie, but he needs to sleep, you can come back in a little while," Deb said sweetly as she began to lead everyone out. Angie leaned over and gave her wounded friend one last kiss on the cheek and proceeded out.

Once outside Judy noticed that Nick was missing and Mike had taken a seat across from the door. When the ladies entered the hall way Mike slowly raised himself up from his seat and gave them all a nod. "Your partner said had to go find some coffee, something about not getting any this morning." The hippo explained Nick's absence. Judy just nodded and gave a faint chuckle.

"Mike, would you mind escorting Angie back to her room, gotta go over some things with officer Hopps here?" Tammy requested as she pat Angie on the shoulder.

"Sure thing Tams, come on kiddo, let's see what kind of reception that TV in your room gets." Mike said kindly as he led the young cheetah down the hall. At this point Deb came into the hallway and excused herself, strolling back to her nurse station to log an update on Jerry's status.

When Tammy and Judy were finally alone in the hall the slender cheetah leaned against the wall across from 402. A wide and knowing grin crossed her face. "So, you and Wilde huh?" she asked smugly.

"What!? What no! I mean what gave you that idea? That's, I mean, no, where would you? How did!? I am insulted, you just, and another thing what's wrong with it, not that it is happening, or will…. What?" the words came pouring out as Judy tried to play dumb, ignorant, and angry all at the same time. When she was finally finished she tried her best to stare the cheetah down.

Tammy said nothing and just continued to smirk while staring down at the rabbit, obviously very amused at the whole situation.

"Please don't say anything." Judy pleaded quietly, her ears dropping slightly a she looked at the floor. She gently brushed her feet against the floor and grabbed one of her arms, not sure why she felt like it was such a big deal.

"Hey, I don't judge, I just think you could do a lot better girl" Tammy said playfully, enjoying this a bit too much. "I mean those jokes of his.. And I have seen him out of work a few times. He does know they sell shirts other than pawaiian right? "

Judy's mood changed instantly. She had thought she was about to hear something about fox and rabbit couple not working, or how pred and prey wouldn't work. Those subjects never even came up. Judy giggled softly and smiled up at Tammy.

"We aren't actually dating or anything.. Just some stuff has recently happened." Judy explained.

"You guys sleep together yet?" Tammy asked Judy as if she were asking what time it was.

Judy never thought her eyes could stretch so wide. She felt her cheeks burn ad her ears shot up suddenly. She had to clear her throat several times. If she had been drinking anything she probably would have chocked to death. "What no! We haven't even been on our date yet!"

"Our date? So you two have a date?" Tammy said, this time her eyes went wide. She began to lean closer to Judy with excitement, it reminded the bunny of her days back in high school, gossiping with the other girls about things like this.

'Just shut up, she can't figure things out if you shut up!' her inner voices screamed.

At this point she would normally begin to try and back track. She would try and change subjects. She would try and deny in fear of embarrassing herself. She didn't do this however. Her mind went back to the young couple she had watched minutes before, unafraid of being labeled something. To Tammy who had stood tall and let her tears fall with shame, to Nick and his confident smile.

They were all brave, they all didn't care about these things, why should she? She had been told bunnies can't be police officers, that she couldn't solve a case, that she would only be a carrot farmer. She had proven everyone wrong and not cared what they said, what happened to that Judy?

She was right here and she didn't care what anyone thought anymore.

"That's right, I have a date with Nick Wilde," she said confidently. "And if he plays his cards right I am totally gonna rock his world afterwards!" she added suggestively. She had no idea where the last part had come from but from the look on her face she didn't regret it, yet. She even took a moment to put her paws on her hips and strike a confident super hero pose.

At this point the gossiping girls heard a coughing noise a few feet away. They both turned to the source. Tammy had to concentrate on not peeing her pants laughing. Judy's eyes went wide, her mouth a gapped in pure horror.

Standing in the hallway were three mammals: Nick holding a fresh cup of coffee, a familiar looking honey badger in a lab coat, and chief Bogo whose expression was one of disbelief.

'Look at it this way, if you died right now of embarrassment the morgue is just a few feet away' the voice in her head mumbled.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: It all comes out.

There was an awkward silence as the two groups of mammals stared at one another. It was Judy that said something, hoping to recover from the situation she had just found herself in.

"Hey chief!" Judy said, a forced smile on her face. She stared up at the big water buffalo who still had a strange look about him. Judy maintained eye contact with him as best she could, unable to bring herself to look down at her own partner. "Is everything alright? Didn't think we would be seeing you here"

"I finally found time to visit Ang….Ms. Tops." Bogo muttered, catching himself from giving away too much. This didn't work for long however thanks to Tammy.

"She has been asking about you chief, she is doing a lot better after seeing the zebra, Mike is watching her in room 410 down the hall." Tammy said as she pointed down the hall to where Angie had gone with the other officer.

"She's been asking for the chief?" Judy said, her ears perking up slightly, making sure she had heard correctly.

"No she has been asking for her godfather," Tammy said sweetly before Bogo could stop the cheetah from saying more. Both Judy and Tammy looked over at Bogo who at first looked as if he was going to be angry, his expression softened slightly when he looked from Tammy and then down at Judy.

"I wanted to keep my personal bias out of the way until you had a chance to interview Angie." Bogo explained, Judy noticed this was the first time the Buffalo had used Angie's first name. She also noticed he was carrying himself differently, he had a strained look on his face.

"we got everything we need Chief," Judy explained, having a feeling that Bogo was still very worried about his goddaughter and wanted to finish in the hallway as quick as possible. "You should go see her."

Chief Bogo nodded and quickly strolled down the hall, eager to see that Angie was safe and sound after everything that had happened. Before he exited the hallway however he stopped at the door to room 410 and looked back down the hall. "Wilde!" he bellowed. Nick didn't respond and Judy didn't dare look back at him, he must have looked up in Bogo's direction however because a second later the chief smirked, "be sure to take her some place nice!" He said and then looked towards Judy. "And Hopp's… still think you could do better" he teased. With that Bogo headed in to see Angie, quickly followed by Tammy who gave Judy a playful wink and then was gone, leaving Judy alone with Nick and the honey badger in the lab coat.

Judy still hadn't turned back to look at Nick, but she could feel his eyes on her back.

'Maybe he is checking out your ass, you have been working out a lot lately' she thought to herself, trying to convince herself that everything was cool. She took a deep breath and turned around quickly. Only glancing at Nick for a second, trying to gage his expression. He had a bemused, although surprised look on his face. Judy didn't know what to make of it.

She did not focus her attention on her partner, instead she looked over at the other mammal in the hallway and realized who it was. Dr. Badger! The doctor who had helped the former mayor Lionheart during the mammals disappearances.

Even though she had been an accessory to the former mayor's crime she had been intricate in the creation of a vaccine to help the turned savage mammals, after all she had already been working on the research for quiet some time. During the investigation Lionheart actually took all the blame and said that the doctor had just been doing her best to treat the mammals and she had nothing to do with their capture. The courts had been lenient with her since she did help cure all mammals afflicted with the night howler drug. Of course she did have to do a great deal of community service, not that she cared.

"Officer Hopps," Dr. Badger said with a polite nod in Judy's direction, breaking the awkward silence that was lingering in the hall.

"Dr. Badger, it's good to see you again," Judy said in a friendly manner as she took a few steps closer to the honey badger.

"Likewise, just wish it wasn't under these circumstances." the doctor said firmly. "I ran into your partner here and he informed me you two were working together on the new night howler attack, I had a feeling someone would come see about it sooner or later so I'm glad we bumped into each other," she explained as she nodded at Nick, Judy however didn't make eye contact with the Fox.

"I have been working all night on what samples we could recover from the scene and I have some interesting results you two may want to see," the honey badger continued, either not noticing the tension between the other two or just not caring. "When you two are ready I'm on the 3rd floor, room 321." With that the honey badger turned and headed down the hall towards the elevator, leaving Judy and Nick alone.

Judy kept looking straight ahead, worried what she might see if she looked over at her partner. She took a deep breath, prepared for the worse, and turned to look at Nick.

Nick was looking at her with the most serious face he could muster, it wasn't working. The occasional snort escaped him as his eyes watered, trying to hold back tears of laughter. A constant grin was spread across his lips.

"So…how do I play my cards right?" He muttered between snickers.

"Shut up… dumb fox" Judy said as she looked away from him, an embarrassed smile her face as she began to stroll down the hall.

"You know you love me." Nick said as he strolled next to her. This caused her to stop dead in her tracks and look up at him. This had been one of the silly things they had done as partners.

Every once and a while one of them would do something that was either silly or embarrassing to the other. To show there was no hard feelings they would say the phrase Nick had just tossed out. It was now Judy's turn to finish the phrase. This time though it felt weird saying it, after all the emotions and new feelings that had been boiling up inside her she didn't actually know if she could finish the phrase the same way she normally did.

"Do I know that?" she began to say, but the rest of the words didn't come out right away. She stood there trying her best to keep it together. She then took in a deep breath, her confidence returning, "Yes, yes I do."

Nick hadn't stopped when Judy had and was now a few feet in front of her. She wished he would turn around. She wanted to see his expression, wanted to look into his eyes, wanted him to act out her dream and wrap her in a warm embrace as they kissed passionately.

None of these things happened though as the Fox continued down the hall towards the elevator, "then quit trying to kill me with coffee!" he said playfully.

Judy felt a little hurt that her partner hadn't turned around and responded to her. Her ears drooped a little. She slowly shuffled over to the elevator doors and waited beside Nick. Looking around, not wanting to meet his casual gaze at that moment. She could tell Nick was looking at her and it only caused her to feel embarrassed at the way she was acting. Her ears were drooping and her eyes looked down at the floor.

Suddenly she felt a warm pad on her shoulder. She looked up at Nick slowly, her purple eyes were shining with her emotions. His warm green eyes looked right into hers and he gave her a warm smile. "Hey carrots, where's your head at huh?" he said warmly, she realized he wasn't so much angry as he was concerned, "you're the super cop here, I'm just here to look good. We need you're A game. I need you're A game."

"Sorry, I'm just all mixed up right now." She answered as she placed a paw on the one he had on her shoulders.

"Ok, I know what you need, bring it in! " Nick said as he pulled Judy into a warm fox hug. She started to giggle as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Nick put both his arms around her and gave her a tight squeeze. It wasn't exactly the passionate kiss she had nearly gotten in her dreams. It was however exactly what she needed.

Judy felt all the stress and embarrassing thoughts just melt away as she nuzzled her face into Nick's chest. A broad smile was across her face as she closed her eyes and just enjoyed being close to Nick.

"You bunnies. Always needing affection." Nick whispered playfully into Judy's ears as she patted her back.

The pair just stood for a little while and finally Judy pulled away and took a step back, straightening her vest. Her mind was clear now, a little affection was all she had needed.

"Did I mention that vest looks pretty snazzy on you!" Nick complimented as he brushed a red hair from Judy's vest shoulder. "Where can I get one?" he said as he looked his partner up and down.

"Ancient bunny secret!" Judy teased as she stuck out her tongue.

Judy's mind was now clear and she began to take a mental inventory of herself and what had happened in just the past few hours. She had had a very vivid dream about her and Nick which may have sparked some emotions she hadn't realized were there. That was ok, there wasn't a thing wrong with having a dream or feeling emotions towards her amazing partner/best friend. She had tried her best to play it cool and keep calm and that had just blown up in her face. She had poured coffee on Nick, hot chocolate on herself, nearly masturbated at work, asked a young couple a less than professional question, and openly admitted to a fellow officer and her superior that she may intend to sleep with her partner. All of these things were done and in the open, and there was no going back. The universe hadn't ended, the building they were in hadn't collapsed and not only had chief Bogo not fired her, he had joked around about the whole situation.

'This whole stuff out in the open seems to be working' she thought to herself. Every time she had tried to hide something it only made it worse and when things did come out they seemed to have some good outcomes. She decided right then that she wouldn't try to hide anything in regards to her feelings. She would put herself out there and be strong like she always had. It was her courage and stubbornness that had gotten her to where she was, why stop now? People seemed to like a more confident Judy anyways.

"Aww come on, your no fun!" Nick exclaimed as he tried to plead for the info on her new equipment.

"You know you love me!" she shot back with a confident grin and a wink.

Nick stood up straight and beamed at his partner, her confidence had always been one of the reasons he liked her so much. "Do I know that?" he asked as he tapped a finger on his chin, playfully pretending to think things over. He then looked back down at her and smiled, "yes, yes I do"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: New product, bad results.

Now that Judy was back to her normal confident self the day itself seemed to be brighter. She had a bit of a skip in her step as she wandered down the hall after a quick elevator ride down to the fourth floor with Nick. It took a little while for the pair to locate the room Dr. Badger had told them, it was tucked away in a corner of the floor, several warning signs hung outside the door. Some had biohazard symbols while others had warnings about what chemicals would be present. Judy didn't really recognize any of the names and Nick couldn't help but make a cheesy joke about two of them.

To spare herself from another corny one liner from her partner Judy quickly knocked on the door. They heard a muffled voice signaling for them to come in. Judy looked at Nick with a slightly nervous look on her face. Nick responded with a similar look. Though it was fun to make jokes about the strange sounding chemicals, none of them sounded like something the two wanted to get on them in any fashion.

Judy slowly opened the door and peered inside. The lab was dark, none of the overhead lights were on. The only illumination in the room came from several monitors and desk lamps spread throughout the lab. "sooooopky ," Nick whispered playfully to Judy as they entered the lab. Judy gave him a playful shove.

Dr. Badger was seated in a small rolling chair near at one of the many desks. Several of them had monitors with equations that were way beyond the officers understanding. Some of the other tables had tunes of liquid and various pieces of medical equipment. "ok doc be honest." Nick began to say as his eyes scanned the room, "how much of this is actually useful and how much do you have to just make the place look creepy?" The fox waved his hands around the room, indicating at all the different equipment.

Dr. Badger looked around the room at all the different prices of machinery and lab equipment and then back at the officers. "Don't know, wasn't my lab yesterday, I just came in and set up shop." The doctor explained as if this was perfectly normal.

Judy looked from Nick and then back to Dr. Badger who was typing something on a keyboard while staring at a large monitor. "Wait.. So this isn't your lab?" the bunny asked as she tried to understand the situation.

"It's mine now," the honey Badger said as she turned back to look at the Fox and bunny pair, "now about that night howler sample." She said as she hoped out of the she hoped out of a seat and walked over to another set a large screen on one of the labs walls.

Judy wanted to pursue the whole lab ownership thing but decided it was best not to. After all her job was to figure out what was happening with the night howler, not who the rightful owners of a science lab were. Plus if Dr. Badger had figured out what exactly was going on then she could keep the lab for all Judy cared.

Dr. Badger turned on the large screen and then picked up a laser pointer as two images filled the screen. The images were of a series of purple orbs with a few lines connecting each orb to the next. Behind the orbs were more and more orbs. Judy guessed that this was an image of the molecular level of some kind of chemical. Judy looked over at Nick to see what he thought of the pictures, the Fox however was busy looking into a small glass dish with a purple liquid smeared in the middle, his nose twitched slightly and then he gave off a small gagging noise as if he were going be sick.

"I wouldn't get too good a whiff of that officer Wilde!" Dr. Badger exclaimed when she looked at the Fox, "whatever that is its more potent than the last night howler serum!"

Nicks eyes went wide and he looked at Judy, then back at the dish. He took two large steps away from the liquid and stood on the other side of Judy. "Prefer the last stuff, at least it didn't stink. "The fox mumbled.

"I prefer no stuff at all. " Judy mumbled back to her fox partner.

"You sure.. I think you liked it a little. I remember smelling something on you when I was playing the savage part. And it wasn't just fear." Nick said slyly as he looked down at Judy. This earned him a quick jab in the ribs. Judy did her best but a smile still escaped and spread across her lips.

Judy couldn't lie, she had felt something inside her when Nick was playing up being infected by a night howler shot. Maybe it was because she knew he was acting or maybe it was just all the different emotions at once. When he looked at her with his teeth bared and his shoulder hunched over, ready to attack, she felt excited… maybe even aroused.

Dr. Badger cleared her throat and regained her audio news attention. "As I was saying. This new mixture is far more potent than the last night howler serum you recovered. As you can see from the images they have only a slightly similar make up at their core. "The doctor explained as she pointed to the images.

"The one on the left is the original compound that was created by Bellwethers scientist. It is in all respects a completed compound. Once a mammal is infected they will remain in a savage state until an antidote is administered." The Badger took a moment to point out a few key characteristics of the originals image. She then moved on to the image to the right of the screen.

"This is the sample we collected from subject Tops." The doctor explained. Judy's ears twitched and she gave the Badger an unkind look at the word subject. She would have preferred patient. Angie was a fellow mammal and an innocent victim in all this, not some science experiment. "As you can see from the image it would appear a few sequences have been replaced with something new while certain ones are missing all together. With what I can tell this compound has been mixed with some form of steroid sequence. We can also see a new set that would suggest that all nerve endings would be numbed."

At this point Nick coughed and gained the badgers attention. He gave her a questioning look. The doctor rolled her eyes and then took in a deep breath as she figured out how to better explain things.

"Whoever is hit this time will be twice as strong, won't feel pain, and have some form of other enhanced abilities I haven't been able to categorize. However there is a tradeoff, this is not permanent. I believe that it will vary from mammal to mammal but you are looking at roughly two to seven minutes before the subject returns to a normal state." She explained while pointing at some characteristics in the new image.

Judy studied the two images for a moment and could tell that the one on the right looked more chaotic and less complex than the original. "So your saying whoever made this just took the original, chopped it up, and then changed a few parts?" Judy asked as her eyes darted from one image to the other and then finally back to Dr. Badger.

The doctor gave a surprised smile, "yes, exactly.. Whoever did this though was sloppy, they could have easily found a way to modify the original with the new traits while keeping a permanent state over the subject. This was either a rush job or made by amueters"

Judy quickly flipped open her note book and clicked her pen as she jotted down a few notes. Nick took a few steps closer to the screen and studied the images. "Tell me doc. Would it be hard to do this? Take the old recipe and spice it up?" he asked casually as he looked over at the doctor.

"Not necessarily, after all the hard part is done, the original compound was made and I'm sure the notes on its creation could have made it into someone else's hands after the investigation. The fact the news reported on how it was made from the flower probably didn't help either." The Badger explained as she walked over to her computer and hopped up on the rolling chair. She then began to type away at the keyboard once more. "The modifications though, that's where things get interesting. You would need some serious hardware to get down the molecular level like this. If this was a new formula from the same flower we would be able to see the difference easy! This however has so many of the same qualities it is obviously a rip off of the original. This isn't something that would be done in a small subway car, you would need a whole God damn train and then some! "

Suddenly a printer in the corner of the room came to life and began to spit out sheets of paper. "I'm printing off the equipment you would need to do this. Problem is you can get it from most hospital suppliers. It's a very expensive but most of it you don't anything special to buy them, you two could go and order some of this stuff yourself if you wanted to."

Nick strolled over to the printer and took the freshly printed sheets and scanned through them. "Anyone can get them, but what if you didn't want anyone to know you had them?" Nick asked with a sly grin, "bet ya there is a black market for this kind of equipment"

Judy looked up from her note taking and gave nick an equal sly smile, "if only we knew someone who knew everyone!"

The two partners looked at each other for a moment when the Badger interrupted, "you two gonna kiss or something?! Geeze!"

"Only if I play my cards right apparently?" Nick said playfully. Judy glared at him for a moment and then looked back at the annoyed looking Badger.

"Dr. Badger you wouldn't happen to have an idea as to who did this or why they might?" Judy asked, knowing it was a long shot.

"Want me to go break down their doors and arrest them too? I gave you everything I know, it's your job to figure out the rest officer!" The Badger shot back. "How about you go catch the criminals and I continue my research! If I find anything knew I will give the ZPD a call!" with that the doctor looked back at her monitor and began to type some notes down, signaling that the interview was done.

"Thank you again Doc, always a pleasure! If we happen to find any more subjects we will be sure to send them your way for torture.. I mean treatment!" Nick said as he headed towards the door with Judy close behind. The pair left the lab and squinted for a second, letting their eyes adjust to the bright hallway.

"OK, please tell me you know someone who knows about an underground medical market." Judy said looking up at Nick hopefully. Her big purple eyes wide and hopeful.

Nick stood, deep in thought for a moment. "See I do remember his first name. We used to run in the same circles.. But.. I can't remember his last name." Nick said as he tapped his chin.

"Well if you two ran in the same circles would Finnick know him?" Judy asked desperately, not wanting to lose this sudden lead.

"No.. Don't think he did." Nick mumbled as he began to walk down the hall. He froze suddenly and then snapped his fingers, "I remember now! We all played cards together!" Nick then looked back at Judy with a smile and waved for her to catch up as he began to walk quickly down the hall.

"Who? " Judy shouted back as she hopped after her partner.

"You two are friends! He owes us a favor too!" Nick exclaimed, still not saying who.

To Nick's merit he was a very patient fox as every few seconds Judy would keep asking who they were on the way to see.

The pair left the hospital and loaded up in their ZPD cruiser. Nick put the vehicle in drive and pulled out into the midday traffic. Judy kept twitching in her seat, hating the suspense as her mind raced, trying to figure out who they knew that could help them.

Nick drove them out of Sahara square and towards the center of the city to the government district. The buildings here looked simple and plain compared to the more elaborate public places Judy was used to. Gray and white seemed to be the key color scheme. It almost made her yawn as they passed a permit building. She froze mid yawn when a small one story building came into view. Judy's eyes went wide with fear she looked from Nick and then back to the ever approaching building.

"No, Nick, no!" Judy pleaded, her ears had shot up and her instincts were telling her to run. She wanted to listen to them.

"He knows who we are looking for, plus he may have a last known address." Nick explained casually, a smile on his face. "Besides he loves us! He would be more than happy to help."

"Please Nick no! I love the guy but please….Asking a bunny to go through this it's so cruel!" Judy practically yelled, grabbing a hold of Nick's arm and looking up at him, "puh puh please!"

"Oh come on, it won't be so bad, bet ya he will be happy to see us!" Nick said as he weaved the ZPD vehicle through the large and full parking lot and up to the front of the building to a spot reserved for government vehicles.

Judy looked up at the building and put her paws on her cheeks and slowly pulled down in dread as she read the massive words above the doorway:

Zootopia DMV


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Old Friends

Judy was banging her head against the window inside the ZPD vehicle. Her eyes closed and her ears falling behind her head. Nick was standing outside on the sidewalk, patiently waiting for his partner, not letting her out of this so easily. After a few more moments the defeated looking rabbit slowly stepped out of the cruiser and walked up to Nick, looking at the ground the whole time. She took a few steps closer to nick and banged her head against his chest which caused him to chuckle.

"Awww come on, it's not that bad!" Nick said playfully as he patted Judy on the head and ran a hand down her drooped ears.

"It's so slow….I can't do slow…" Judy muttered as she nuzzled into Nick's chest, enjoying the feeling a little more than she probably should. "I can't do slooooooooow!" Judy groaned as she looked up at Nick, her purple eyes growing wide," Don't you know anyone else you can help?"

"Nope, besides Dash is the best in the business!" Nick said as he let Judy go, much too the rabbits dismay, and began to stroll towards the large doors leading into the DMV. "Besides I heard a new joke that I am sure Dash would love to hear!" At this point the fox picked up his pace as Judy bounded after him.

"Don't you dare!" Judy shouted as she tried to catch up to her partner who had already opened the entrance doors and slipped inside. Judy was close behind the fox and quickly dashed in as the door started to close. She saw Nick walking down the center lane towards a long line of desks. She began to run after him but suddenly realized that a few mammals were looking in her direction from the long lines. She looked around and gave an embarrassed grin as she slowed down into the fastest walk she could muster without looking obvious.

The bunny officer was so close to her partner that she was sure she had time to stop him and prepare a battle plan for the interview. Her gray paw was reaching out to Nick, just inches away, almost there….

"Flash Flash hundred yard dash!" Nick said loudly as he reached the desk were a familiar looking sloth was sitting. "How have ya been?"

'Don't you dare Nick, don't you dare do it, I swear I will bury you' Judy screamed on the inside as she reached the desk in time to see the familiar sloth slowly look up at Nick.

"Well

Hello

Officer

Wilde" Flash said slowly as he looked at his old friend, playfully using the formal title. The sloth then slowly looked down at Judy and gave her the slowest wink she had ever seen.

"Officer

Hopps

Hope

You

Are

Keeping

Nick

Out

Of

Trouble" The sloth said in a painfully slow manner. Judy gave him a weak smile, doing her best to remain friendly. She knew this was just in Flash's nature. The amusing part was that Nick and Judy's first case together actually involved the sloth that sat before them now. Apparently when not at work Flash had a bit of a street racing hobby and had been using the streets of the city as his own personal race track. If Flash had wanted to go pro he would probably make an excellent race car driver.

Judy and Nick had decided to let Flash off with a warning when they had finally caught up to him and realized who was behind the series of street racing incidents. After all he had helped them in the previous night howler case and in general he was a nice guy. Judy remembered it being the first time she had ever really bent the rules for someone besides Nick, a fact she constantly reminded her fox partner of.

"Good to see you Flash, and I am trying to but Nick always seems to find ways of causing new trouble." Judy said, giving Nick a glaring look, hoping that the fox would just stick to the business at hand.

"Oh

Trust

Me

I

Know

How

Much

Trouble..." Flash began to say but was cut off by the impatient bunny

"He can get into?" Judy said, trying to finish the sloths sentence in order to speed up the already long introductions

"He

Can

Cause" The sloth finished, not noticing what Judy had tried to do.

Flash then slowly turned his head back to Nick and smiled at the fox," So

What

Can

I

Do

For

You

Today

Nick?" Flash asked kindly as he slowly blinked.

'Even blinking takes too long!' Judy could barely take it already. She took in a deep breath to clear her mind and then looked over at Nick.

"Well here's the thing, I am trying to find an old friend to help out with a case I'm working on. Do you remember that giraffe that joined our late night card games a while back?" Nick asked as he leaned casually on the counter and looked at Flash hopefully.

Judy had a sudden image of Nick sitting at a table with Flash playing a game of cards. Her eye twitched at the thought of how long a game of go fish would take with Flash and if she would ever find out if he had any queens before she died of old age. The idea made her chuckle slightly. Her mind then wandered to the thought of playing cards with just Nick. The fox with his sly grin placing a winning hand down on the table ,"guess bunnies aren't so lucky after all, now…off with the shirt.." the Nick in her fantasy egging her on as she lost another hand of strip…. 'Brain what the hell, focus!' her inner voice yelled at her own wandering fantasies, trying her best to bring herself back to reality and focus at the situation she was in.

Judy's attention went back to Flash who sat for a moment looking over at Nick. Then very very slowly a look of inspiration came across his face. Normally by now Judy would be quickly whipping out her notepad. She had given up on obtaining information very quickly from this source. She casually reached down and pulled her notepad from her belt. With every ounce of control she clicked her carrot pen and then rested the point on the pad of paper. This series of events took all of 15 seconds, and the sloth was still opening his mouth to reveal what he knew.

"You

Must

Mean

Mel…

Melman

Long" Flash finally finished as he looked from Nick and then to Judy triumphantly.

"Haven't

Seen

Him

In

A

While

Though"

Judy's ears raised up in surprise. She quickly scribbled down the name and then looked up at Flash. This could really help them in the case. If they could find an expert on how to get equipment to create a new night howler serum then they could hopefully pinpoint who was doing all of these and may be able to stop any more attacks. "You don't happen to know where this Mr. Long is, do you Flash?" Judy asked, the anticipation was killing her as the sloth slowly looked down at Judy and began to open his mouth.

"No

But

I

May

Know

Someone

Who

Can

Look

Him

Up" The sloth said in the slowest joke Judy had ever heard. Flash slowly leaned down over his keyboard and began to type in a few letters. Minutes passed as the sloth spelt out every letter of Melman Long's name as he typed it in. Judy looked from Flash and then back to Nick, realizing that Nick's grin was getting bigger. "Don't you dare..." Judy whispered in Nick's direction, her eyes narrowing at her partner.

"L

O

N…."

Maybe it was because Nick secretly hated her. Maybe he was behind the new night howlers attack. Maybe it was because he secretly didn't want to be a cop and just wanted to ruin everything in Judy's life. All these ideas ran through Judy's mind as she saw her fox partner slowly open his mouth.

"Hey flash, wanna hear a joke?" Nick asked casually.

'Death and doom and fire and more doom upon you! I will destroy you stupid fox! Everything you hold dear will burn!' Judy's inner voice screamed with rage. Judy did her best to maintain some kind of composure but she could feel her carrot pen shaking and she looked down, her paws were trembling in anger. She looked back up at Nick, her nostrils flaring. "I hate you…"she whispered through clenched teeth towards the fox who was grinning from ear to ear.

Flash slowly looked up from his monitor, his clawed hand just inches away from finishing his search.

"Sure

I

Could

Use

A

Good

Joke..."The sloth exclaimed as he looked over to Nick.

"Why are leopards bad at hiding?" Nick asked looking over at Judy and giving her a wink and then back over to his friend across the counter.

"I

Don't

Know,

Why

Are

Leopards

Bad

At

Hiding?" Flash asked, a look of confusion on his face.

Judy thought for a moment herself and then her ears went up and her eyes went wide in a sudden moment of revelation. "Because their easy to spot!" She shouted excitedly, proud of herself that she could figure it out. Though the DMV was normally a quiet place it was even more so as Judy realized just how loud she had been. She didn't dare look behind her at the crowd of mammals waiting in line. She gave Nick a weak grin. The fox returned the expression with a surprised chuckle. Then both officers looked at the sloth who sat silently for a few seconds.

Flash's expression changed from a one deep in thought to one of pure joy as he slowly got the joke. The sloths eyes slowly widened and his mouth hung open for a few seconds before a gasp of laughter escaped. "Ha

Ha

Ha" The sloth exclaimed in a slow laugh.

Judy rolled her eyes and then remembered something," oh no…"she muttered as she looked from Nick, to Flash, and then to a female sloth at next desk over.

"Hey

Priscilla" Flash began to say to Judy's dread. Sher knew what was next, they would spend the next 5 minutes explaining the joke and then listening to the female sloth slowly laugh. Little did Judy know, it was about to get a great deal worse.

"Come

Over

Here,

You

Have

To

Hear

This

Joke" Flash exclaimed.

'No no no no no!' Judy screamed internally as she realized what was happening. Slowly and steadily the female sloth in a purple shirt with matching streaks in her hair leaned back in her chair and smiled.

"Sure

Flash

I

Will

Be

Right

There"

What should have taken only 5 minutes turned into a half hour ordeal. Judy was absolutely losing it at this point, she could feel herself beginning to sweat from all the emotions she was trying to keep in. She couldn't begin to describe how she felt towards Nick. Was it possible for her to beat him up and make out with him at the same time, because that's how she felt towards her partner at that particular moment.

After what felt like an eternity the two sloths finished their flirtatious joking and returned to the task at hand. This only led to another long wait as Flash finished entering the information, only to find several results on Melman Long. Fortunately for the cop duo he was able to narrow it down to a single address, after an additional half hour of slow typing and scrolling through results.

As flash returned from the printer with a sheet full of knowledge on Mr. Long, Judy had all but given up on being professional. She had her head in her arms which were resting on the counter. Nick was amused at the whole situation and looked at his partner's feet, one of which was tapping impatiently and then back to her head. He gently lifted one of Judy's ears so he could whisper into her ears.

"You mad carrots?" he said in a hushed whisper, the smirk on his face revealing he was enjoying this way too much.

"Burn in a fire" came Judy's muffled and annoyed sounding voice from within her arms. She refused to look at him at this point, wondering how much trouble she would be in if she went and got the tranq gun from the car and shot her smug partner in the ass.

"Here

You

Go

Officers" Flash said as he slowly placed the piece of paper on the counter. This caused Judy's head to shoot up and look at the sloth and then to the paper. Before Nick could react Judy grabbed the paper and scanned its contents.

"This is perfect! Thanks Flash!" The bunny said as she began to hop happily away from the counter, not allowing Nick to cause any more delays.

"Thanks Flash, you're the mammal! I owe ya!" The Fox said and winked at the sloth as he began to walk after his partner," just watch that lead paw of yours alright!"

Flash began to say something in return but Judy was already out the door and waiting outside for Nick. She was standing perfectly still as she looked out across the parking lot at the now setting sun in the distance. Nick came strolling up next to her with a happy look on his face. He stopped and looked at the setting sun and then down at Judy. Before he could say anything she jumped him.

"I hate being slow! Why? Why would you tell that cheesy joke? Why can't you take this seriously? We lost so much time!" She shouted at him. She had jumped up to where the bottom of her feet were pressed against his chest. She had grabbed his collar for support and was inches from his face, her eyes a flame with anger.

"You seemed stressed there carrots," Nick stated, still not losing his cool, his hands resting on his own waist, knowing full well that Judy was strong enough to keep herself in her current position without his help.

"Really? What gave you that idea? Is it the fact that we are currently hunting down a new threat to the city? Is it because I just spent the last couple of hours in the DMV because you had to tell a joke? Is it bec….."She didn't get a chance to finish. Nick leaned in and gave her the smallest kiss on her little rabbit nose and then pulled back, smiling at his handy work. Judy had frozen, a sudden look of surprise across her face. She stared at him wide eyed, her ears shooting straight up. She just sat there, still holding his collar for support for another minute. Then she let go and gently hopped to the ground, not sure what to say as she looked down at the ground and then sheepishly up at Nick.

"Better?" He asked playfully.

"Hate you so much sometimes…" She muttered, but gave him a smile to show she wasn't serious. This had not been the first time Nick had done this to her. There had been a few other occasions when she was getting a little heated during work and she needed something to calm her down. A sudden sign of affection from her partner always seemed to do the trick. She had always just written it off as being as bunny. Affection was just in their nature, it didn't have to have a deep meaning. However she could feel her heart skip a beat. Maybe the reason it always worked so well was the same reason she had dreamt about Nick in such a vivid manner the previous night. Whatever it meant, she wanted to explore and find out more, but that would have to wait.

"We better head back to the ZPD and report in what we have to Bogo" Judy muttered as she began to stroll over to the passenger side door.

"You think he's gonna get the day shift to pull doubles tonight?" Nick asked as he hopped into the driver's seat and started the vehicle.

"Gosh I hope not…" Judy said, a little unlike herself. Normally she loved working overtime. 'I don't want to miss my date...' she finished the sentence in her mind. She looked over at Nick from the corner of her eyes, even after all the annoying stuff he had just put her through she couldn't help but smile.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Old ways.

The drive back to headquarters was uneventful for the most part. While Nick drove leisurely through the early evening traffic Judy sat in the passenger seat engrossed in her notes. Judy flipped through a few pages of her notepad and scrunched her face, deep in thought. She then looked over at the sheet of paper they had gotten from the DMV, read a few lines of information, and then went back to her notepad occasionally mumbling to herself. " So this Melman guy…how exactly do you know him again?" Judy finally broke the silence that had been lingering in the car.

"Lets just say he is an old friend from my entrepreneur days and leave it at that carrots." Nick said with a smirk, keeping his eyes on the rode as he attempted to merge into the other lane.

"He in the pawpcicles biz too?" Judy asked with a teasing smirk as she looked over at her partner.

Nick chuckled as he stopped at a red light and then looked over at Judy. 'Even at night he wears those dorky sunglasses' Judy thought as she looked to the top of Nicks head and then back down into his eyes.

"First off, organic pawpcicles " Nick shot at her, feigning a disappointing tone, "second off no, he wouldn't be into that. He is actually a bit of a health nut as I recall. One of the reasons he got into the whole back alley medical supply game was so he could get a hold of the good stuff for himself "Nick said as he looked back into the sea of lights that filled the streets.

"Wait, was he a user?" Judy asked nervously. She knew that Nick had had a dark past but didn't think it would bring him into the circles of drug users. She felt a slight pang of worry as she realized the two hadn't exactly talked in depth about the fox's past. He could have rubbed elbows with all sorts of dark characters. Judy had only scrapped the surface of the dark world that lurked in Zootopia. Nick could know all sorts of shady mammals; drug pushers, arms dealers, maybe even the occasional hitman. Judy felt her heart sink at the thought of Nick doing dealings with such a bad crowd. She was brought back into reality however when she heard Nick laughing. "What?"

"If you knew Mel you would understand why questions like that are so amusing. Like I said the guy was a health nut. To the point of pure paranoia! He knows every ingredient of aspirin and had a stop watch just so he wouldn't take more than the recommended amount in a certain time," Nick explained, making Judy feel slightly better about the situation. "Seriously the guy had a different made up disease every other day..one time he thought he caught a rare strain of rabies from a wolf that sneezed near him. The last thing he would do is mess up his health by using some kind of drug. Got to admit though he sure was handy if you had a cold, knew every cure in the book."

Judy gave off a weak laugh. She felt at ease knowing this particular friend of Nicks wasn't some drug kingpin, but that still didn't absolve all the other mammals he had dealt with. She made a mental note to try and get more information on the subject a little later. "So what makes him selling medical equipment a 'back alley' kind of deal?" Judy pried as she closed her notebook, far more interested in the conversation than her notes.

"Well as I understand it he was selling equipment you normally needed licensing for. You know, the real big kind of machines with magnets, he had them. You didn't necessarily have certified techs to run it? Not a problem to Mel. I wouldn't say it was the most dangerous line of work, but it wasn't necessarily legal. Plus you need licenses and the likes to sell this kind of stuff, Mel may have neglected to renew said licenses." Nick explained as they approached the ZPD headquarters in the city center.

"So what your saying is in the world of organized crime…Mel sold band aids without its original packaging?" Judy said, putting the lamest example she could think of on the fly.

"Oh no, they were still in their original packaging, that would be unsanitary if they weren't he just sold them without the proper commerce license is all" Nick said with an amused look on his face as he pulled into the ZPD garage. He cruised down one of the isles and parked in a spot marked for vehicle drop off.

"Unsanitary? Kind of like selling pawpcicles that someone may have melted on a roof and then poured into a dirty paw print in Tundra town?" Judy asked slyly. Nick looked at her from the corner of his eyes, a serious look on his face.

"Ma'am I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about." He muttered, showing his teeth in a playfully forced grin. At this point both Judy and Nick exited the vehicle and strolled towards a small office in the garage to drop off the keys and fill out a mileage report.

"Well since we have his number and you two are such good pals why don't you give him a call?" Judy suggested as she handed Nick the sheet of paper from the DMV.

Nick looked down at his watch and then looked at the sheet in his paw which had Melman's information. "I might be able to get a hold of him, from what I remember he is an early to bed kind of mammal…always got his 8 hours, anything under that and he may contract the plague or something"

Judy looked down at her own watch and raised an eyebrow, it was still very early in the evening. Sure Nick and Judy were on overtime but that didn't mean it was very late. "Very early to bed.."She muttered and then looked back at Nick. "Well how about you try anyways real quick and then we can go report to Bogo on what we have found so far"

Nick didn't exactly look excited about this new plan, "Or how about I fill in the vehicle check in report and then call Mel, while you go brief Buffalo butt? I promise you have just as much information as I do…probably more because I zoned out during the chemistry lesson today"

"Nick…what am I gonna do with you…?" Judy said as she shook her head slightly in disbelief. Even after graduating the top of his class and working with Judy for so long he still acted like his old self, always trying to work the angles.

"I don't know" Nick said as he leaned down to Judy's level and smirked, his smile mere inches from her face, "Maybe rock my world?"

"ah hahah…well will you look at the time!" Judy said as she laughed nervously and turned a shade of red, her wide purple eyes darting around the garage, making sure no other mammals had heard the last bit. "Guess I better get going! Gotta go talk to Bogo, I'll..um..I'll see ya back at our desk? Ok sounds good!" With that Judy turned away from Nick and quickly walked away, she didn't have to look back to know that Nick was staring at her with that smug grin that seemed to have been on his face almost all day.

As Judy quickly walked out of the garage and through a set of large doors leading inside to the ZPD she couldn't help but notice that the halls seemed a little more crowded than usual. Normally the night shift, sometimes referred to as swing shift, would have already been briefed and out on the streets performing their duties. However tonight the halls were bustling with extra officers and support staff. The ZPD was just as busy now as it had been earlier that morning which surprised Judy as she made her way into the large atrium. She received a few friendly nods and greetings as she made her way through the large bustling room towards the reception desk.

Before Judy reached reception however she stopped in her tracks when she remembered what had transpired earlier that morning when she arrived. The thought of facing Clawhauser after pouring hot chocolate all over herself made her feel a little apprehensive. Not only was it one of the dumbest things she had ever done as a cop, it was also somewhat rude of her to ruin Clawhauser's early morning drink like that, not that the large cheetah needed anymore sweets, everyone new about the not so secret stash of sweets he kept under the reception desk.

Judy decided that a peace offering was in order and quickly headed back deeper into the ZPD building, away from reception. She navigated the halls and finally found what she was looking for, the break room. She headed inside and noticed this room was especially packed with mammals. Officers, dispatchers, and other various support mammals were all milling about the tables eating their lunches. Judy's path kept her strolling down the perimeter of the room towards a bank of brightly colored vending machines.

IT took the bunny a minute or two to decide on what exactly to get Clawhauser, knowing full well that he would love just about anything she got him from the vending machine, so there was really no pressure. Judy finally settled on a bag of small chocolates shaped like paw prints and a can of Clawhauser's favorite soda. Once Judy retrieved the peace offerings from the machines she strolled towards the exit of the break room. She paused however when she heard her name come up in an officers conversation.

"Then she apparently just dumped a cup of hot chocolate over her…no idea why though!" Judy overheard, feeling slightly embarrassed knowing that even officers who weren't even here in the morning were gossiping about the earlier events. 'Don't they have something better to talk about?' She wondered. She could have just left and let the officers continue their conversation, but curiosity got the better of her and she continued to listen.

"I know she has been here a while, but I still cant get over her…I mean a bunny cop?" One of the other officers at the table chimed in. Much to Judy's dismay the others didn't necessarily correct him.

"Hey, what ever works I guess. She did solve the last night howler case and I hear Bogo has her on lead for this new one…just gotta wait and see if she is a one hit wonder." Came the first officer.

Judy carefully peaked around another group of officers eating their lunches and talking to get a better look at the officers deep in conversation about her. She noticed it was a group of two wolves, a lion, and a rhino. She didn't recognize them right away, they were most likely part of a different shift team. The ZPD precinct #1 was one of the largest in the world with so many officers it was impossible to know everyone.

"Still, gotta give her some credit though, after all not many officers would be okay with a fox as a partner." The rhino muttered as he took a sip from his coffee cup.

"Well I heard that Wilde guy was involved with the last case too, helped Judy solve the thing..bet that's why they got partnered up!" One of the wolves said quickly.

"Or maybe its because Bogo knew she wouldn't have a problem with it like a lot of us would.." The lion said, the sentence caused something deep down in Judy to want to jump up on the table and shout.

'So what if hes a fox? He is my fox!' She thought, wishing she had shouted it. Judy remained quiet however as she wanted to see where the conversation would go. She knew this wasn't a good idea, this kind of thing only led to trouble.

"Heard they may be more than partners too…" The lion muttered in a low voice, looking over his large shoulder to make sure no one was listening. "Rumor has it they may be a little more involved with each other" The lion said, leaving the rest up to the imagination of the group.

"Wait….they are dating?" One of the wolves asked, a sudden look of surprise mixed with amusement on his face.

"So what if they are? Aint none of our business…besides who here hasn't looked at another species and thought what it would be like..especially a cute number like Judy!" The other wolf, a young timber, interjected.

'Finally! Someone on our side! Wait…did he just call me cute?' Judy thought, she was happy to hear what the younger wolf at the table had to say, she waited and listened to the rest of the conversation.

Every mammal at the table was silent for a few moments, the silence finally broken by the rhino who started to laugh. "don't let Wilde hear you say that!" he said in his deep voice. This seemed to soften the mood as the other mammals began to join in with their own laugher.

"more importantly don't let Hopps hear that, we all know who would wear the pants in your relationship!" the lion said as he gave the younger wolf at the table a playful punch on the arm.

Judy couldn't help but smile after hearing the conversation. She had been worried about what her fellow officers might think. Her smile however changed as the conversation she was eavesdropping on went into a different direction.

"listen, I may be a little old," the rhino started to say as he shifted his large frame, "but back in the day preds and prey didn't exactly interact in that way, I ain't gonna stop someone from dating the mammal they want to date, but to me… Well it should stay within species."

Judy could hear some mumbling coming from the group. "like I said before, so what, it's none of our business." The young timber wolf said and continued to munch on a sandwich. "besides Old man, your like what 100? Didn't you guys not have fire back then?"

This caused another round of laughter to emanate from the table. "OK ok, I get it, I'm old and my ways aren't exactly modern.. It's just the world I grew up in and it's kind of stuck. The way I see it is you should only date someone that it makes sense to date is all." The Rhino explained. At this point the conversation moved on to a new topic, the mammals had finished gossiping about their fellow officers for now.

Judy sighed and shook her head as she quietly walked out of the break room. She could see where the rhino was coming from, in fairness she would have probably said the same things a few years back. A few images flashed in her mind. A young Gideon Gray was standing over her, his teeth bared and claws raised in an attack. The can of Fox repellent she used to carry on her duty belt. Nick hunched over and walking on all fours in a savage manner towards her. She felt a pang of guilt as she realized it wasn't until very recently that her opinions of foxes had changed. Not only had her opinion on foxes changed but her opinion of a possible relationship with someone who wasn't a bunny.

Had someone come and asked if she would date a fox a year ago she would have probably requested they go get their head examined. Now though it was all she could think about.

She wondered if Nick felt the same. After all they really hadn't had a chance to discuss what had been going on with her since this case had fallen in their laps. She felt slightly guilty as she realized that she had suddenly been more concerned about what the case was doing to her instead of what it was doing to innocent citizens.

She had to put a pin in these thoughts though as she approached the reception desk, Clawhausers snacks in her paws. She slowly snuck around the desk until she was directly in front of Clawhausers, hiding out of the cheetahs view.

Slowly she raised the cola and bag of chocolates and gave them both a little shake in front of the surprised cheetah. Judy couldn't see Clawhausers expression from her crouched position but she heard a happy gasp.

She slowly raised her head, her ears clearing the counter first and then her purple eyes came up so she could look up at her friend. She kept her mouth covered though, trying to use her best wide eye stare on the cheetah. "sorry about this morning" Judy mumbled apologetically.

Clawhausers had the largest grin spread across his flabby face as he put his hands under his cheeks and gave off a squeal of excitement. "oh M goodness!" he said happily. Before Judy could react she felt the cheetahs massive paws around her as he picked her up and pulled her into a warm hug. "you are the best rabbit every!"

Judy let out a gasping sound but still enjoyed the attention, holding herself against the cheetah she was reminded of a giant been bag pillow only this one purred and smelled of candy.

Clawhauser eventually set Judy down on the reception desk where she casually sat as she watched the cheetah tear open the bag of candy and pop a few paw shipped chocolates into his salivating mouth. He held the bag towards Judy who politely accepted a hand full and nibbled at the chocolate. "I will try not to pour this all over your desk." Judy said playfully, knowing it was best to get the chocolate jokes out of the way now rather than later.

Clawhauser giggled, "yeah so you wanna explain that?" the cheetah asked as he popped open the soda and took a swig.

"it's kinda a long story. One that hasn't exactly concluded. " Judy said as she rubbed her neck nervously.

"is it about your upcoming date with Nick?" Clawhauser asked without skipping a beat.

Judy began to choke on a piece of chocolate she had just put in her mouth. It took two good slaps on the back from the large cheetah to unlogged the candy from Judy's throat. "who…?" Judy began to ask.

"Tams texted me earlier, heard you announced your intentions in front of Bogo too!" the cheetah said as he placed his elbows on the counter and then rested his massive chin in his hands. He then playfully batted his eyes at the bunny, "so are you gonna give me the scoop or do I have to beg?"

Judy just signed and decided it would be better to just surrender now and tell Benny what was going on. She was actually somewhat excited to talk to him about this, he had always been a good friend and offered her so much help while asking very little in return. Besides, Bogo was probably so bogged down with all the reports from the days events that he probably wasn't available to see her right away.

Judy took a deep breath and started to explain what had happened. From the dream she had had just that morning all the way to the kiss on the nose at the dmv. The more she talked about the subject the more she felt a swelling of excitement deep down. She realized just how much fun she was having, the thrill of the hunt was sometimes better than the prize after all. This prize however would be well worth all the embarrassment she told herself.

When she was done explaining the events of the day she let out a sigh of relief and then looked at Clawhauser for some kind of response. The cheetah was silent for a few seconds, only letting out little happy noises through his grin.

"OMG.. That is so cu…." He stopped himself as he looked for another word to use, but Judy got the point. "So after all that how does Nick feel?"

Judy's smile faltered for a moment and she scanned the large hall nervously. She then looked back at her friend and shrugged, "guess that's a question I will have to ask on our date."

"or right now!" Benny said as he looked around and suddenly spotted the fox who was running towards reception.

Judy looked over as well, a sudden look of concern formed on her face though as she noticed the look of panic on her partner. In one quick motion she hopped off the reception desk and walked quickly to Nick. The fox had his phone in his hand, his eyes wide with worry. He didn't have to say anything, she could tell just from his expression what had caused him to act like this.

Suddenly all the radios in the large hall gave of a series of beeps as a mass message was toned out across the frequency.

"attention all units this frequency, attention all units this frequency. Any units in the vicinity of tundra town mall please be 10-51 rush status to the mall. Reports of a possible Night Howler attack. EMS en route for multiple injuries! Control clear at 1845"

* * *

 **So just wanted to give you all a little update.**

 **The next chapter may be a little while for a two reasons. I plan to go through all previous chapters and re edit for Grammer and spelling errors my phone seems to have missed. This may take a while but I believe it is important and it will ensure the story is coming across more smoothly.**

 **Also some of you may be following the current storm that is scheduled to hit the east coast in the next few days. I am in Florida so we may be getting hit hard soon which means I may be in the dark for a little bit. Don't you all worry though we are taking all necessary precautions and I expect to be back up and running not long after the storm. Of course don't hesitate to send Florida and all affected by Hurricane Matthew some good vibes.**

 **I'll update you all soon!**

 **-Blue**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Remain Calm

Normally the front of the ZPD had a handful of marked vehicles parked up front, occasionally one would turn its strobes on as it headed out to a call where time was a factor, but this normally involved one or two vehicles. Any one standing in front of or near the massive police precinct however was in for quite the show this evening. The doors to the front of the building suddenly burst open as a handful of officers poured out, all scrambling to get to their assigned vehicles. The side of the building was also a swarm of activity as a series of bright red lights began to flash just above the garage exit. This was a signal system designed to tell anyone near the garage to stand clear and remain on the sidewalks, the reason for the lights became clear as several ZPD vehicles began to shoot out of the underground facility. One of the vehicles was going so fast it went airborne.

As their vehicle landed with a shower of sparks on the street Nick cursed loudly, "Carrots!" He yelled out a little angry at his rabbit partner who had fire in her eyes as she began to weave in and out of traffic.

Minutes earlier the pair had been standing in the large entrance atrium listening to a mass tone out about a possible night howler related incident. Before the tone out for the attack at the mall had even finished Judy had bolted towards the garage with her partner close behind her. Both were determined to get back to a vehicle and get to the mall as quickly as they could. Nick seemed to know full well that by the time they got there the scene would be secured and the incident most likely over. Judy however seemed to be either oblivious to the fact or chose to ignore it as she burst into the garage and shouted for a set of keys.

"Slow the hell down!" Nick had to shout over the roar of the engine and the sounds of horns coming from the traffic outside.

Judy had a look of determination that the fox recognized, it was the kind of look that fools wore when they refused to give up, and it was dangerous. Judy's eyes continued to dart around the streets, making sure there were no obstacles in their path as she began to push the engine to the limits that would make Flash proud. Her eyes went up to the rear view mirror and noticed that the other ZPD vehicles had fallen so far behind that they were just a series of blue and red lights several blocks back. 'Slow pokes…we need to get there now!' Judy thought as she gripped the steering wheel and weaved past a large semi-truck with pictures of smiling fruit on the side.

"Red light." Nick said nervously as the ZPD vehicle closed in on an intersection with a large red circle above it, indicating all traffic should stop. "Red light!" Nick said again.

"Don't worry, it's about to turn!" Judy shouted back as they came ever closer to the light which still shown red.

"Judy…at least slow down! Remember training!" Nick pleaded as he grabbed the ceiling strap above his seat.

The light was almost right above them when it suddenly changed to a bright green, clearing the intersection for them to continue. Judy smirked as she heard a sigh of relief from her partner. "Told you!" She said smugly as they blew through the intersection and towards a large neon sign indicating they were about to enter the frigid region of Tundra Town.

"Ice roads Hopps!" Nick shouted as he felt the ZPD vehicle swerve slightly on the Icey roads as they entered a large tunnel that would lead them to the snowy region. To ensure that Tundra town remained at a constant cool there were only a handful of tunnels that would lead into the region. Each of them was like a giant freezer and the roads were considered slightly dangerous because they were constantly slick with a slush that formed, never truly freezing over but never completely just covered in water. It made for interesting driving conditions for most travelers but nothing too dangerous at the right speeds, these were not the speeds that Judy was driving at however.

"I got it!" Judy barked back as she tried to compensate. Her adrenaline was high, her heart racing. She felt a sudden thrill as she realized just how fast they were going. She stole a glance at Nick who was focused on the road. She licked her lips slightly, enjoying how she could push him to this limit slightly. She didn't exactly know what was coming over her, but she liked it.

They might actually get there before EMS, they may be able to figure out who did this, and they may even catch them in the act! Images of an arrest flashed in Judy's mind as she gritted her teeth. There was an unidentifiable mammal in cuffs. Citizens cheering. Nick smiling at her as he pulled her into a warm embrace and kissed her lovingly. She had to stop all this, she had to catch the ones responsible, and she wanted that kiss!

"Too fast too fast!" She heard Nick shout which shot her back at the task at hand.

He was right.

Judy tried to spin the wheel and bring them back on course, all this did was whip the direction of the vehicle so suddenly they hit one of the walls of the tunnel with the vehicles tail and began to spin out uncontrollably. Fortunately for them the tunnel came to a sudden end and opened up on a large snowy field which was meant to give mammals entering the region a view of the frozen skyscrapers and mountains just beyond, tonight though it was what saved Judy and Nick from a fiery collision into a building as their vehicle spun off the road and crashed into the snow.

There was a loud boom as the airbags deployed and Judy felt her face get smacked by the sudden deployed bag. Her head went back and hit the seat behind her and caused her to lose consciousness for only a second. When she came to there was a smoke in the car. Judy's nose twitched and she sniffed for threats quickly. There was no smell of fire and she figured the smoke was from the sudden airbag deployment. She slowly looked over at Nick who was resting against his own airbag, not moving.

"Nick?" Judy coughed out in a sudden panic as what had just happened came over her. To her relief she saw the fox move slowly, obviously a little dazed from the crash, letting out a series of pained groans.

"I'm ok Hopps…" Nick muttered, there was pain in his voice, and something else that made Judy worry.

"Nick I'm so sorry, I just…I don't know what came over me!" She began to explain as her mind replayed the events that had led them here, suddenly realizing she had put them in this mess.

She could hear sirens nearby and saw flashes of blue and red speed out of the tunnel. Some of the lights began to head deeper into Tundra town while a handful broke off and sped in Judy and Nick's direction. Judy began to shift slightly and winced as she felt a sharp pain in her side. Her head was also throbbing and as she reached up to check for injuries she felt a warm thick liquid rolling down her left ear which had no feeling in it at all.

"Hopps! Wilde!" Voices could be heard outside in the snow. Judy slowly turned herself so she could look out the window. She saw a series of flashlights bouncing in the snow towards them as their fellow officers barreled through the white powder.

"Were okay!" She shouted out and coughed, tasting copper. "We are okay..." She mumbled as felt a little woozy. She realized that she was starting to go into shock as her senses began to numb. She did her best to remain calm and not panic in hopes of keeping herself from passing out. She quickly turned to Nick who still hadn't moved from his position. "Nick...Nick?" she muttered as she fought to stay conscious. It didn't work. She felt the world start to spin and heard muffled voices as everything faded into black.

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **Happy to report that we made it through the Hurricane. We were very lucky that it was downgraded before it hit our region. Still have a curfew in effect till the roads get cleared.**

 **Thank you all for the well wishes and positive vibes!**

 **Sorry for the short chapter, but thats just how it came out.**

 **I hope to have a longer one posted soon!**

 **Warning: the following chapter has adult material and is one of the reasons the story has been rated M.**

 **Feel free to skip chapter 13. Everyone else enjoy.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Following chapter has some adult material. You have been warned.**

* * *

Chapter 13: Surprise wake up (Warning explicit)

Everything was filled with a white fog. The room, her thoughts, even the sound Judy heard seemed to be muffled. The dazed rabbit slowly blinked and scanned the room. Everything seemed to be washed in a warm white glow. She was obviously in some kind of hospital room from the looks of things, it all seemed strangely familiar. Suddenly Judy remembered the earlier events and she felt her heart begin to race as she sat up quickly and looked around. She heard movement to her left and her eyes quickly shot over to see the source. Nick had been sitting in the chair next to the bed, he had been obviously reading as he quickly placed a black bound book in the seat as he rose and moved quickly to Judy's bed. He wasn't in uniform though, instead he was in his regular green pawaiian shirt and dark tie combo.

"Hey hey hey now." He whispered calmly as he placed a hand on Judy's paw. "It's ok, you're ok!"

Judy was shaking, her breath was labored, her ears standing straight up as she try to absorb everything that had happened. "We were in a crash," She whispered frantically. "We went off the road, into the snow, there was smoke!"

"Yeah, we were in a crash, but we aren't there anymore, we are both safe now." Nick said softly as he gave Judy's paw a reassuring squeeze.

"Are we dead?" Judy asked as she looked around the room, the fog had begun to clear from her mind but she still had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. To her relief she heard Nick start to laugh.

"No, do you think a car crash like that could take down the super squad?" He teased as he lifted his paw from Judy's, only to place it on the bunnies gray cheek. "We are ok."

Judy blushed slightly at the contact and couldn't help herself as she gently pressed her cheek against his hand and nuzzled the warm black fur of his paw.

"This is all my fault..," She whispered as she closed her eyes, still pressing against Nick's warm touch. "Nick I'm so sorry…I don't know what came over me. The thought of the night howlers returning and the chance to catch whoever was responsible, it was all too much to pass up. I should have listened to you"

"Yeah, you should have." Nick said, the way he said it though didn't feel like it was meant to be mean, just meant to state a simple fact. "But that wasn't the only reason we crashed was it?" The fox asked as he slowly moved his paw under Judy's chin and made her look him in the eyes.

Judy wanted to look away, but she couldn't. Her purple eyes darted from Nick and then to the floor, not wanting to look as his gaze. It didn't work however as Nick slowly lowered his head so he could look right into her eyes. "Come on carrots, just tell me!"

Judy could feel tears welling up in her eyes and she slowly closed them, hiding from the fox's emerald gaze. "I wasn't staying focused…I kept thinking about..." She felt the words get stuck in her throat. She wanted to tell him so badly, wanted to admit that he was the reason she wasn't completely on task. She had crashed into the snow because she was so obsessed with her emotions lately and it had nearly gotten them killed. She wanted him to know but couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"About me" Nick said, not in a question, but in a way that finished her statement. There was no anger in his tone, no sadness, if anything she thought he sounded happy.

Judy slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head to look at Nick. Her gray paw slowly taking Nick's which was still under her chin and gliding it back to her cheek. She gave his paw a gently squeeze and nodded. "Yes, that's all I have been thinking about." She admitted, "The dream I had showed me something I didn't realize was there, and now it's the only thing I think about. I kept thinking that if we solved this case quickly we could start something new, something more"

Nick remained silent and let the bunny vent her emotions. His eyes filled with compassion. The thumb on Judy's cheek gently rubbing her fur. It was almost therapeutic to the bunny as she let everything that had been bottled up all day pour out. "Even in my mind as we were driving I was excited at the thought of catching the criminals responsible. Not because it was my job, not because it would make us famous again, but because when it was done you and I could be together."

Judy finally finished spilling her guts to her partner and just stared at him for a moment, "It's pretty dumb I know..." She said as she looked down at Nick's chest, not wanting to catch his gaze at that moment.

"Dumb bunny." Nick muttered softly. Judy felt hurt at the fox's words and quickly looked up in surprise. She had just revealed everything she had been feeling and the idea that he thought it was all so dumb was almost too much for the little bunny to bear.

"I'm sorry…"Judy began to say, already feeling her eyes being to water.

She felt Nick move closer to the bed as he slowly leaned close to her. His mouth lingered directly next to one of her raised ears. "Who said the case had to be done for us to be together?" He whispered lovingly.

Judy's heart skipped a beat and she felt a familiar shiver run down her body as her eyes darted from Nick's chest and then back into his eyes as he slowly leaned in front of her. "Nick?" She asked in the lightest of whispers as her partner slowly climbed into the bed and laid next to the small bunny.

Thousands of thoughts rushed through Judy's mind at that moment but she couldn't quite grasp any of them. For the first time today she was focused on everything in front of her, not wanting to miss a thing. Nick was lying in bed with Judy, just inches from her. His paw still gently rubbing her cheek. 'Do it, please do it!' Her mind shouted. She could feel her heart begin to pound as Nick stopped rubbing her check, she felt a small pressure as he began to pull her closer to him. She didn't give any resistance, if she wasn't so focused on taking everything in she would have leaped into his arms at this point.

Their mouths were so close now she could feel his breath against her lips. Her nose twitched excitedly as her ears drooped behind her head. Nick stopped at this point, his eyes barely open as he looked into Judy's excited stare. "Dumb bunny" Nick whispered playfully.

"Sly fox," Judy responded in turn.

Judy wasn't sure who finally closed the gap but she didn't care as she felt Nick's lips press gently against hers. Her eye lids slowly closed and she placed a paw on Nick's warm cheek. Their mouths remained embraced for some time, neither of them apparently wanting the kiss to end. When Judy began to feel Nick pull away slightly she quickly slipped her hand to the back of his neck and pressed his head against hers. She had been waiting all day for this, there was no way he was getting off that easy. She could feel the fox shake slightly, knowing full well he was chuckling at her efforts to continue the embrace.

Much to Judy's happiness the fox granted her wish and did not part from her. He actually began to slowly wrap his arms around her and pulled her close. She could feel his lips begin to part slightly, almost as if to ask her if this kiss should evolve. Her answer was obvious as she parted hers as well and slid her tongue against his parted lips. She nearly exploded with excitement when she felt Nick's tongue join hers as the twos kiss grew more and more passionate.

'This is it, all day this is all we have wanted, all we had to do was crash a cruiser!' Her inner voice said happily. It was wrong though, Judy thought. Even her inner voices didn't know what she really wanted. They were however about to find out.

Judy began to press herself harder against Nick. Both her paws had found their way to the fox's back and she was pulling him close with all her strength. The kiss the two had been sharing had turned from passionate embrace to a wild wrestling match. A few gasps escaping every once and a while as their mouths parted slightly, only to quickly press against one another once more in a fiery embrace.

It was Judy who finally put the amazing make out session on hold, knowing what she had planned would seriously up the ante and be a great risk to everything that had just happened. She didn't care though, she wanted this, and she wanted him!

Judy quickly pressed a paw against Nick's shoulder, not trying to push him away, but instead forcing the fox on his back. Nick had a look of surprise as he obeyed the bunnies unspoken orders. As Nick began to roll onto his back she slowly climbed on top of the happy looking fox till she was straddling his waist, sitting just slightly above where she assumed a certain part of him was hiding hungrily. She looked down at him, lust filling her eyes as she took in the scene beneath her.

Nick was laying casually on his back now, slowly putting his arms behind his head as a sly smirk crossed his lips, "Enjoying the view officer Hopps?" He teased as he licked his lips.

She knew he would say something like that, she had actually been hoping he would. She gave him an equally sly smirk "Yes..." She began to say. Before she said anything else however Judy quickly reached behind her neck and pulled the strap that was holding the hospital gown to her body with one paw. With the other she grabbed the now loose shoulder of the gown and quickly pulled it off, throwing the only piece of clothing she had on across the room. "What about you Officer Wilde?" She asked with a wink as she puffed out her now bare chest and allowed the fox to take in her slender naked body.

Nick had a look of utter shock on his face at this point and for the first time since Judy could remember the fox was actually speechless. His emerald eyes went from Judy's face and slowly down her nude figure. She noticed his eyes lingered on her breasts a little longer than the rest of her. His gaze then continued down to her lower regions, stopping between her legs. He then looked back up at her purple eyes, still no words.

"What's wrong Nick? Afraid you can't handle a little bunny?" She said as she put her hands on her hips and gave him a playful pout. Judy was surprised at herself, not only was she now sitting on top of her partner, she was naked, and was actually teasing him. Had she gone too far? Did he not want this?

'Oh great, you wrecked it. You had an awesome thing going and you wrecked it!' Her inner voice began to scream as Judy continued to sit on top of Nick, looking down with a growing nervousness in her eyes. 'You took that great kiss and…what's he doing…OH MY GOD!'

Nick's expression had suddenly changed from a surprise smile to a savage grin. Before Judy could finish her thought Nick shot up and wrapped an arm around Judy's bare waist. The other arm reached out behind Judy and grabbed her ears, pulling them back suddenly causing Judy to expose a side of her neck, which the fox attacked. Judy let out a sudden gasp in surprise as her eyes went wide. Nick began to passionately kiss the gray fur on Judy's neck, causing the bunny to moan softly.

"There you go!" Judy let out in a gasp as she wrapped her arms around Nick. Judy began to grin as she felt her partner bury his mouth into her neck. 'Can this get any better?' Judy thought as she let out another gasp. She would later wonder if Nick could read minds because the fox chose that moment to bite down gently on the bunny's neck.

Long ago when animals were savage creatures and foxes hunted small bunnies for food the fox would normally try to go for the neck in an attempt to quickly kill their prey. Nick had other ideas however as his teeth dug gently into Judy's skin. "That's it!" Judy let out in another gasp, her lips parted in a wide smile. "Nick! That! Do That!" She almost screamed in surprise. The new sensation felt amazing to Judy, though slightly painful it also brought on a wave of pleasure. Maybe it was the carnal part of her or the thought that he could easily ravage her, whatever it was Judy was surprised as to how much she loved it.

Nick continued to answer the bunny's pleas as he gave her a few more sweet nips. As he pulled away from every bite he would give Judy's neck a small kiss and then quickly find another spot to nibble on, doing his best not to hurt the small bunny. Judy took notice of this and was grateful, she also took notice that he was slowly starting to go down her neck, however when the fox reached her collar she felt him go up slightly and then back down, never breaking the border of her collar bone, as if asking permission.

She smirked and gave out an excited sigh as she slowly placed a paw on the back of the foxes head and began to push him down past her collar. Nick seemed filled with a new supply of energy as he began to lower his head, giving Judy small kisses on her fur along the way. The bunny had her eyes closed and was running her paws through the fur on the back of Nick's neck. Her heart beating faster as she knew he was getting closer to her chest. 'What is he gonna do when he gets there?' She thought excitedly.

Judy didn't have to wait long for an answer. She arched her back when she felt the fox take one of her erect nipples into his mouth and began to run his teeth over the sensitive skin. Judy arched her back slightly, pressing her chest into Nick's face even more as she let out an excited gasp. She looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes as she felt Nick's tongue begin to swirl around her nipple. "Nick! Oh gosh! Keep going! Please!" Judy moaned as she felt another wave of ecstasy wash over her body.

Judy felt one of Nick's paws slowly glide up her body and rest on the breast Nick had been neglecting. She felt a slight pressure as Nick began to squeeze down. She let out a soft moan, this only fueled the fox's efforts as she felt him continue his assault on her breasts. It was almost too much at some points. This wasn't exactly the first time this had happened to Judy. It was however the best!

Judy let out a disappointed sigh however when she felt Nick begin to slow his assault and then finally stop all together. She didn't want this to end. She slowly looked down at Nick, her eyes barely open, and her lips starting to form into a playful pout. "Don't tell me you're all worn out." She whispered longingly.

Nick just looked up at her as he rested his chin on the white fur in between her breasts. A sly smirk on his face hinted that he was far from finished. "What?" Judy asked softly as she ran a paw over Nick's ears gently. The fox didn't answer with words, but instead with actions. Judy froze as she felt one of the fox's paws slowly glide from her waist and towards her legs. His intent was clear to her when she finally felt his hand glide under her, in between her legs. Judy's mouth was open as she began to breathe quickly. She gave Nick a slight nod and then closed her eyes as she felt him slowly penetrate her. The feeling was unlike any she had felt before. The thought that he was the one doing this was almost too much as she began to arch her back and gasp. The fox began to explore deep inside of Judy which caused her to shiver in pure pleasure.

"Officer Hopps" Nick muttered in an almost muted tone.

"Yes?" Judy asked between gasps.

"Officer Hopps!" Nick said again, his voice a slightly higher pitch.

"Yes?!" Judy said as she began to run a paw over her breasts.

"Officer Hopps Please!" This time the voice wasn't Nick's. It was a female's voice and it sounded familiar.

Judy slowly blinked her eyes open and realized the room had changed. The white fog that had filled it before was gone. "WH…what?" Judy let out in a pained voice. Suddenly her body felt strange as if it was just now able to send signals to her brain. Her right ear was numb but she could feel a slight throbbing pain at its tip. Her ribs felt like they had a bowling ball sitting on them as she let out a pained breath.

All the discomfort was slowly starting to wash over her in a numbed manner, she must be on some kind of pain medication she thought as she began to scan the room. The pain was the last of her worries however as she suddenly realized she wasn't alone in the room.

Standing next to the bed was the bunny nurse she had met the day before. Deb wasn't looking at Judy however, she was looking at the floor with a paw covering her eyes. "Officer Hopps please wake up!" She said in a strange tone. It was obviously out of desperation but not a life threatening kind, more of embarrassment. What did Deb have to be embarrassed about?

Judy then realized why Deb wasn't looking right at her. The bunny in the hospital bed froze in pure terror as she realized what was going on. One of Judy's paws was on her breast, squeezing gently. The other paw was under her gown, between her still twitching legs, the sheets stained with a liquid that covered her inner thighs.

"Oh no…."Was all Judy could say as she sat there, wishing lightening would just strike and end it all.

At this point Deb lowered her paw and looked over at Judy, "Good morning officer Hopps" She said, still sounding slightly embarrassed, "Guess you slept well….who is Nick?"

Judy just stared directly at the ceiling as she slowly placed her paws on either side of her. Knowing full well what had happened. A dream! Another dream?!

"You have got to be kidding me!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Checkup.

Judy continued to lay in bed, refusing to look away from the ceiling. She had already covered herself up with the blankets, trying to convince herself it was like a suit of armor or some kind of shield. It almost seemed to work, but when Deb spoke it only reminded Judy more of what had just transpired.

"I am sorry Officer Hopps, but you had a sudden elevated heart rate, and you managed to remove some of the electronics we use to keep track of your vitals," Deb was explaining as she gently placed a small wrist strap with several lights that all blinked green when snuggly wrapped around Judy's wrist, "You seemed to be sleeping soundly up until. Well..."

"How long did it take to wake me up?" Judy asked plainly, doing her best not to lose total control at this point.

"Less than 30 seconds I swear officer!" Debs said, sounding slightly panicked. "I swear as soon as I realized what you were doing! I wasn't trying to peep on you or..!" Deb began to say quickly. Judy suddenly realized the situation the two found themselves in.

Here was Judy, who had just unknowingly tried to please herself in her sleep. Which was embarrassing enough. Then there was Deb, the nurse just trying to do her job and walking in on one of her patients doing some very risqué things while they were supposed to be passed out. She didn't know who she felt sorrier for.

Judy could feel her heart rate starting to slow down and her breathing had finally returned to normal. She was still covered up by the sheets however and still hadn't looked down from the ceiling above. Deb had stopped talking and was staring at the ground, however Judy could feel the nurse looking over every once and a while. When the silence became too much to bear Judy finally broke the tension.

"I will give you a week's pay if what just happened never leaves this room." Judy offered as she began to bring her blanket over her mouth. Trying to figure out if it was possible to never leave the bed and start a new life underneath the sheets where she could just hide forever.

"Keep the pay ma'am, just don't tell my supervisor!" Deb shot back. "Last thing I need is another complaint?"

Judy slowly brought her gaze down and looked at Deb who returned the awkward stare. "Another? How often does this happen?"

Deb looked over at Judy. The nurses' eyes going wide as she raised her hands in front of her, "It's not like that!"

There was another moment of silence and then Judy let out a loud snort as she began to laugh. Maybe it was a mix of the drugs she must be on and just the utter ridiculousness of the situation she found herself in, either way the wounded bunny couldn't help but laugh.

Deb stood at the side of the bed, her eyes still wide with shock. A weak smile began to form on her lips however as a small chuckle emanated from her.

"Sorry, it's just been a long day...or two..."Judy admitted as she began to calm down. Judy slowly lowered the blanket so it was resting on her waist as she began to sit up. "How long have I been here anyways?" Judy asked, hoping the change in subject would help lighten the tension in the air.

"4 days ma'am." Deb said weakly, continuing to give Judy the same weak smile.

"Wait?! 4 days?" Judy asked in shock. A monitor next to the bed gave off a sudden beeping sound, obviously signaling that Judy's heart rate had sky rocketed once again. Deb looked from the monitor and then back to Judy.

"Hey, it's ok! You're ok!" The nurse said as she reached out and placed a friendly paw on Judy's shoulder.

The world was spinning slightly as the sudden realization of what had brought her here raced through her mind. She had been in a car crash, a pretty bad one apparently judging from how long she had been out. She did feel pretty banged up but everything felt a little numb at the same time. The meds they had her on must be pretty strong. Nick was probably going to make a junkie joke or two.

NICK!

Judy's eyes went wide with sudden panic as she scanned the room. The fox wasn't present. "My partner! Where is my partner?!" Judy practically screamed as she grabbed Deb's paws and looked at the startled nurse in desperation. "Is he ok?!"

"Ma'am, calm down!" Deb said with a slight wince, Judy had a bit of a death grip on the poor nurse. "He is ok!"

Judy loosened her vice like grip and apologized, "I'm sorry!"

The nurse just smiled as she rubbed her wrists, "It's alright ma'am, and I probably deserved that"

Judy slowly laid back in the bed and took a deep breath. She began to remember her training. There was no point in panicking, to panic is like spreading a problem from mammal to mammal. "Two things." Judy began as she held up two fingers. "First: it's Judy. No need for formality here, especially after what you walked in on." Judy began as she gave her nurse a wink.

'Remain calm, create a common ground, be friendly, and get information' her inner voice repeated a lesson she had learned at the academy. Right now Judy was in a strange room, injured, with no knowledge of what the current situation was. She had to change that, and the only source of knowledge in the room was Deb.

Deb seemed to blush at Judy's comments. Judy felt her cheeks go warm as well but she didn't let it distract her to the task at hand. "Second: Can you please tell me where my partner Nick Wilde is?"

At the mention of Nick's full name Deb took in a sharp breath. Before Judy could go into another panic the nurse blurted out in a tone of discovery, "Nick, wait the Nick?" Both of the nurse's paws went over her mouth as she gasped and then started to giggle.

Judy then realized what was so amusing and closed her eyes and took in a sharp breath. Deb had put two and two together and had figured out who Judy had just been dreaming about. "Yes, if you must know I have been having these dreams about my partner, now where is he?"

"Wait, he's a fox though. Don't get me wrong he is kinda handsome and he was so sweet when they brought you here, but still. Didn't think you were into that kind of stuff!" Deb began to explain as she brought her paws down and placed them both on the edge of the bed.

Judy just let out a sigh, "Deb I promise you that I will explain everything about my dating life later, but for now please focus!"

"Oh, sorry Judy, didn't mean anything by it!" The nurse explained, "He is ok, you took the brunt of the crash. I am sure he can explain more though."

Judy's ears twitched which caused a sudden pain. She winced as her instincts took over and she reached up to rub where the pain was coming from.

"Careful there!" Deb said as she reached out to try and stop Judy. It was too late however as Judy's paw reached her ear. Judy let out a breath through shaking lips as she felt her the bandage that ran up the whole of her ear. She had been so focused on Nick that she hadn't thought about what shape she was in.

"You're ok Judy, just a little bruised up!" Deb explained as she slowly took hold of Judy's paw and brought it down to the side of the bed. "How about we get you cleaned up and then I'll call the doctor so she knows you have come round."

Judy suddenly felt very grateful that Deb was there when she had woken up. Even though the manner in which Judy had woken up would forever haunt her thoughts, it was good to have someone there that could explain what was happening. The thought of not knowing would have been too much.

"Who's ready for a sponge bath?" Deb asked playfully as a broad grin spread across her face.

Judy suddenly had a change of heart, maybe having Deb here wasn't such a good thing.

A short while later Judy was sitting in a bed with fresh sheets, a new hospital gown, and clean fur. Well as clean as Deb could get it since Judy was constantly squirming in a vain attempt to escape.

The nurse had excused herself at this point and had gone to inform Judy's doctor that the bunny was now awake and ready to be seen. Judy hadn't realized until this moment how quiet hospital rooms could be when you were alone with your own thoughts. Several images began to race through Judy's mind. She saw flashing lights, a sudden hill of snow, Nick slumped over in his seat. The last image sent chills through her body.

Deb hadn't said much about Nick while cleaning Judy up. Just that he was ok and had been at the hospital every day since the crash. Unfortunately the hospital had policies which denied Nick access to Judy's room until she regained consciousness, so he hadn't seen Judy in her current state yet. He had however been waiting outside her room every day, waiting to see her. To Judy this was bitter sweet information. On one side Nick had been waiting for her to wake up and obviously cared about her wellbeing. On the other hand though she felt bad that he was going through all this because of her.

She was also worried about when he would show up and they had to face one another. She had caused the crash, there was no getting around that, she was the one that had put their lives at risk for the sake of her own greedy reasons. She felt her eyes begin to water as she ran through all the possible conversations and their outcomes. None of them seemed to end well.

Judy could feel some tears begin to roll down her cheeks. She didn't do anything to stop them for now, she needed to just let her emotions out. This however wasn't going to happen just yet as her ears twitched at the sound of the door knob turning.

Judy looked up as the large wooden door opened up and a large lioness in a lab coat stepped into the room, easily filling up the doorway with her slender frame. The doctor was looking down at a clipboard in her hand and skimmed over the information on the paper clipped to the metal square.

"Officer Hopps I am Dr. Sweet. I have been looking over you these past few days. I must say you gave us a little bit of a fright when you arrived." Dr. Sweet explained as she took two steps towards the bed and covered the space easily till she was standing next to Judy.

Judy didn't say much, she was still a little surprised at the situation she found herself in. Sure in Zootopia anyone could be anything. However to find a lioness who was able to specialize in prey medicine was quite rare, even in the diverse city. She had met several lions in her time at the ZPD, and of course there was former mayor Lionheart, who had been somewhat responsible for all the disappearing mammals when Judy first joined the ZPD, but he had done it for the right reasons at least.

Dr. Sweet was unlike any of the lions Judy had met before. She had a softness in her voice that calmed Judy's nerves and made her more at ease at the situation.

"So how are we feeling? Any pain at all?" The doctor asked kindly as she calmly leaned over in front of Judy and looked directly into her eyes. Her large yellow eyes darted from side to side as she examined her patient.

"Just a little groggy I guess. And there is a dull pain on the tip of my ear. Also some pressure on my left side." Judy began to explain. 'Also the uncontrollable urge to jump my partner and rock his world!' Her inner voice chimed in.

"Well that's to be expected." Dr. Sweet mumbled as she slowly stood up and began to examine Judy's bandaged ear. Normally her ears were very sensitive to touch but at the moment she could barely feel anything when the lioness gently took hold and began to examine the top of Judy's ear. "So would you like me to draw this out or should I just get down to the damage?"

Judy took a deep breath and slowly exhaled as she prepared herself, "let's hear it Doctor."

"Well it could have been far worse. The air bag saved your life but it also caused a lot of damage in exchange. You have 2 cracked ribs, hence the pressure in your side." The lioness explained as she pointed at Judy's side. The bunny just sat there and looked up at her doctor, doing her best to maintain her composure. For every wound she heard on herself she worried about what might have happened to Nick.

"You also dislocated your shoulder but we mended that one already," Dr. Sweet continued to explain, "you have some damage to that neck of yours, nothing serious but you are gonna feel some discomfort. I don't know how but you managed to smack your left eye during the crash, no permanent damage but there is some apparent bruising and your fur is slightly discolored. This is temporary however."

The lioness hadn't even finished yet but Judy was already thanking some higher power for having survived the crash, from the list of her injuries it must have been more serious than she realized.

"Now onto your ears. The right one suffered some cuts from the broken glass from the windshield. All of them were minor and are already healing nicely from the looks of it. The left ear however, took quite a beating. Though there is no bone up there," Dr. Sweet took this moment to point at Judy's ears, "but it certainly looks as if you tore something in the muscle. I expect it to heal up nicely though after a week or so."

This was the first time Judy had heard anything dealing with time and she suddenly thought about the case. She couldn't be down right now, there was already another attack, that's reason she was even in this darn hospital!

"A week? I'm sorry doctor but I don't have a week, I have to get back on the case my partner and I are on, the attack that happened the other day not far from her in the tundra town mall!" Judy began to explain as she tried to get out of bed. She felt a strong paw on her shoulder however. Dr. Sweet was staring down at her, looking both impressed and annoyed at the same time. It wasn't the strength behind the lioness that stopped Judy, it was the firmness of her stare which told Judy she didn't have much of a choice.

Judy slowly laid back in bed, she did her best to hide her emotions but it didn't stop a pouting look to show on her face.

Dr. Sweet let out a soft chuckle as her expression Warmed. "Your partner warned me it would be hard to keep you here."

Judy felt her cheeks warm at the mention of Nick. "How is he doctor? Did you treat him?" Judy asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"I can't go into too much detail about your partner's medical status, I'm sure you understand the laws, but I can tell you he is doing well. You took the most damage after all." Dr. Sweet said kindly she then checked her clipboard and then set it down on the table beside Judy's bed. "Now, let's take a closer look and see how you are healing up!" Dr. Sweet said as he rubbed her paws together.

The examination was slightly uncomfortable but it could have been far worse. Judy was impressed with how Dr. Sweet performed the examination. The large lioness could have easily picked up the small wounded bunny and thrown her around like a small squeaking pillow. However the doctor was very gentle with Judy as she poked and prodded the wounded officer. Every check had a purpose and Dr. Sweet was determined to put the little bunny through as little discomfort as possible. Every once and a whole however Judy would wince in sudden pain, the lioness would give Judy a moment to relax and then would continue checking the bunny.

When it was finally done Dr. Sweet helped Judy lay down in the hospital bed. "Well no surprises, that's always good!" The doctor said happily as she reached for her chart and began to scribble a few notes down. "We will of course have to keep you a little while longer, but I don't see any reason keeping you more than just a few more days."

"Any chance of an early release doctor? I have this case that needs my attention!" Judy began to plead but it was no use as the lioness shook her head.

"Even after your release I cannot clear you for duty for at least a week. Just take some time off and enjoy a little vacation from work!" Dr. Sweet explained. Judy slowly hung her head and felt her good ear droop. It must have been amusing sight with one ear sitting straight up while the other fell to the side. Dr. Sweet took notice and placed one of her large laws on Judy's small gray one. "Listen, I know who you are and what you have done for this city, but even super cops need to know their limits and recharge, take this time to recover, please."

The words did actually mean a lot to Judy who gave a slight sniffle. "Thanks doctor, I will try."

Just then there was a knock on the door and Deb came bouncing in. "sorry to disturb you, doctor, but I just wanted to see how everything was going!" Deb asked, sounding slightly out of breath, her eyes darting from the lioness and then to the bunny laying in the bed.

"We actually just finished Deb," Dr. Sweet said as she stood up and looked down at the nurse in concern, "is everything alright?"

Deb nodded quickly and then looked over her shoulder and then back at the other two mammals in the room. "Well you see, we have a situation."

At this point some muffled shouting could be heard coming from beyond the door. It sounded like an argument was in progress. Judy thought she recognized one of the voices.

Judy began to sit up in bed and looked nervously at the door and then back to Deb. "what is it?"

"Officer Wilde is outside. He found out officer Hopps is awake. He said if we don't let him into this room soon he was gonna bust down the door!" Deb explained in a mild panic. "Doc he looks ticked!"


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Reunited.

The hospital room was quiet. The only noise was coming from the machines near Judy's bed and the muffled arguments outside. Dr. Sweet and Nurse Deb looked at one another and then turned to look over at their patient. Judy was now sitting up in her bed, a look of concern on her face as she stared at the wooden door that now separated her from Nick.

"Officer Hopps, if you are not feeling up for visitors I can tell your partner to return later, you still need a lot of rest after all," Dr. Sweet offered kindly. Judy began to wonder if the two mammals in front of her knew the real reason behind the crash. That Judy had caused it because of some selfish fantasy. If they had known would it be any different? Right now all Judy wanted to do was jump from the bed and rush to the door so she could burst through and get to her partner. A thought entered her mind though. What if he was yelling so he could get to her, not because he was concerned about her safety, but because he wanted to face her and make her pay for the crash? Was he angry at her? Was the shouting because of her or because of what she had done?

Some mammals would most likely prolong the inevitable and lock the door. Maybe tell the doctor to pass on a message, or make up a lie that Judy was asleep. However Judy was not most mammals. Before she could turn back she took in a deep breath and with a determination in her eyes she looked at Dr. Sweet.

"Send Nick in, I need to see him" she said, her voice had courage she could only hope would hold.

Dr. Sweet smiled and gave Judy a firm nod. The lioness then looked down at Deb, "come along, let's go get the fox before he throws a chair or something." At this both the lioness and the small bunny nurse approached the door. Dr. Sweet turned the knob and allowed Deb to exit first. While the door was open Judy could clearly hear Nick shouting "you just try it buddy, I don't need to be a cop to kick your ass!" This caused Judy to giggle. She imaged Nick towering over everyone as he tried to force his way into the room to get to Judy, it caused her to shiver slightly in excitement.

Dr. Sweet slowly closed the door behind her so she could calm Nick down before allowing him to enter. The muffled voices seemed to rise slightly, and then the volume dropped to the point it was gone all together. In Judy's wounded state she had trouble hearing anything beyond the door and was left listening to the low hum of the medical equipment in her room.

The waiting was killing Judy. She tried her best to be patient most of the time. This though was pure torture, even the episode at the DMV was more bearable. As the seconds passed different scenarios flashed in the rabbits mind. Nick coming into the room was of course the start, but what happened afterwards varied from him taking her hand and comforting her to him putting his paws around her neck. The last one warranted a shiver, but if that was what he wanted could she really blame him? She had caused all this and deserved whatever was dished out to her.

Finally the door slowly opened. Part of Judy wanted to look away or hide under the sheets like a child who was frightened in a storm. She however remained sitting up, determined to face her partner and whatever he decided to do to her.

Judy felt her heart fall into the pit of her stomach when Nick limped into sight. Every step was obviously taken with great caution. Though the fox hid it well Judy could tell Nick was in some pain. Sadly though the limp wasn't the only problem. There were a series of small bandages on the fox's face. Judy also noticed some on his right arm. His left arm was out of sight however, it was tucked underneath a blue ZPD jacket, and Judy noticed his left side seemed slightly misshaped, as if he was carrying something. Overall Nick was in far worse condition than Judy had been led to believe and this was not some simple misunderstanding, Judy had obviously been lied to. She felt angry at Deb and Dr. Sweet for having lied to her, but the feeling didn't last long. Another emotion quickly over took her.

Nick was in pain because of her. There was no denying it. Judy felt a wave of guilt roll over her. She could feel her courage faltering as Nick closed the door behind him and stared at Judy from across the room. Even in his wounded state he looked so strong to her. Which just made the situation so much worse. The two partners just waited in silence. Judy's eyes slowly scanning Nick, taking in every bit of him, trying to figure out where to even begin. She finally looked up to the Fox's face, trying to gage his expression. The fox had a look of concern as he studied the wounded bunny in front of him.

"Nick, I am so sorry!" Judy began to blurt out. She tried to maintain her composure but as the words began to leave her lips she felt her emotions follow suit. Tears began to form in her eyes. To her credit she refused to look away. Knowing full well that she had no right to avoid the fox's gaze. She had gotten them into this mess and she was ready to face the consequences. Whatever Nick threw at her she would take it.

Nick slowly crossed the room without saying a word. Judy continued to sit, not moving, tears rolling down her gray cheeks. Every step Nick took was painful for both the fox and the rabbit still sitting in the bed. "Nick I understand if you are mad, you should be!" Judy began, she couldn't take the silence anymore. "If you never want to work with me again I understand and deserve it! I just want you to know I didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

Nick was now standing next to the bed, looking down at the rabbit with a blank expression on his face. 'Say something damn it!' Judy's inner voice screamed as she looked up at Nick, "Slap me, yell, shout, do whatever it was you were doing outside that made so much noise! I can't take this!'

"I'm sorry," Judy whispered. She looked up at Nick, her purple eyes glazed with tears as she stared into his determined green gaze.

"4 days," Nick finally muttered, his voice was sharp and determined. "I have had 4 days to think about what we just went through."

Judy could tell this was going to be serious, the fox's normal playful tone was missing, in its place was a stern and focused voice. She remained quiet. Whatever came next she deserved it and she owed it to Nick to let him say what was on his mind without interruption.

"When I first came round I was terrified," Nick explained, "Because you weren't there. We had just been in a terrible crash and I couldn't find you"

Judy felt her heart skip a beat as she imagined the fox standing up inside a hospital room, his eyes frantically searching for her. He was frantically running through the halls, hopping upstairs, climbing some rain swept mountain to a distant tower, her knight in shining armor trying to rescue her.

"Then they told me you were ok, which I admit was a relief," Nick continued. His expression had softened slightly at this point. Judy wanted to reach out to him, but thought better of it, she wanted him to finish. Her mind continued to play images as the fox spoke of the events of the past few days. Nick was sitting in a waiting room somewhere, a faceless mammal in a lab coat standing over him and explaining Judy's status. The fox in Judy's mind jumped up happily and cheered when he heard Judy was alive.

"Knowing you were ok was," Nick began, Judy noticed the pause as her partner searched for the right words, "a temporary relief"

The words shot through Judy like an arrow. She couldn't be mad or surprised however. She had brought them to this point in their lives. What was she to expect? Instant forgiveness? Some heartwarming embrace? 'Temporary?' Judy thought. Of course he would be somewhat relieved knowing she was alive, but how relieved can someone be knowing that the mammal that caused them so much pain was ok?

"After that, I had time to think, and I won't lie to you," Nick's expression began to turn stern. Judy braced herself, knowing what was coming. "I was angry, very angry." The final words came out slowly, Judy thought she detected a growl escape. She felt her muscles tense up in uneasiness.

"You put our lives in danger Judy!"

'This is it!' Judy's inner voice began to cry out. This was how she would lose her best friend, one of the greatest things to happen to her; gone, the one who she had felt so many different emotions for was about to tear her down. The bunny held back the tears as best she could as her paws tightened on the sheets. 'I don't want this to end!'

"After I told you to slow down! You didn't listen!" Nick's voice began to grow slightly louder. Judy could see some fire in those big green eyes of his as the fox towered over her. She wasn't scared though, she wanted whatever the fox could dish out. She had earned it. "We can't solve a case if we are dead! And you almost got us killed! The only thing that saved us was the snow and some stupid airbags!"

'Please just make it end!' Her mind was racing, this was almost too much.

It got worse.

As Nick became more animated while trying to get his point across he tried to raise both his arms. Judy had thought she couldn't feel anymore sorry than she already had. She was wrong. Nick's left arm was wrapped in a large white cast. It had obviously been broken in the crash. That explained the jacket and why he looked slightly off balance before.

Judy could feel her heart shatter at this point. The flood gates opened as she lost control. She was strong, but there was only so much she could take. "Oh no Nick!" The bunny blurted out as her mouth gawked open, her lower lip trembling. She gave in to her emotions and quickly buried her head in her paws and sobbed.

Judy sat there, her sobs filling the room for what felt like hours.

Judy's good ear twitched slightly when she heard Nick begin to speak again. His voice was low, the fire was gone now. "That was before though." Judy felt something heavy land in front of her. She slowly looked up and saw Nick's phone sitting practically in her lap on the bed. The screen gave off a white glow. "Pick it up." Nick muttered, it wasn't an order, it wasn't a demand, it sounded more like a request. Judy timidly scooped the phone up. The screen currently had the call history in view. As Judy began to scan the screen Nick continued, "I was stuck in that waiting room for the most part of 3 days, just me and my phone. I thought about what I would do when you came to, how I would react, what I would tell you, what would happen to us. My phone decided to give me a suggestion. Scroll"

Judy followed Nick's instruction and scrolled through the call list. There was occasionally a call or two from some of Nick's friends. Judy saw Finnick's number, the occasional Flash, even Clawhauser popped up. The rest of the calls were all from the same number. Whether they were out going or incoming, all of them had the same name: Carrots. A small icon in the shape of a carrot next to it.

Judy couldn't look away from the screen as her paws gripped the phone, her number filling the rows and rows of the call history screen. "Not talking to the most important mammal in your world for a few days puts things in perspective." Nick said just above a whisper. "We will be ok Carrots, it will take some time, but we will be ok"

She didn't deserve him. She would however do everything she could to come close though.

"Nick, I am so sorry." Judy muttered, this time it wasn't followed by a sob, and the tears rolling down her cheeks were of joy. "I swear, whatever it takes, I will make this up to you." Judy said with determination as she slowly looked over at her partner.

The smirk on Nick's face caused her to pause. He was covered in bandages, his arm was broken, his fur was discolored from bruising, but he was the most handsome mammal Judy had ever seen. She let out a small sniffle.

"Oh you rabbits." Nick began as he took a step closer to the bed. Judy felt her heart flutter at the words. It reminded her of the first time they had hugged. Judy slowly leaned over and rested her head gently against Nick's chest as the fox put his good arm around her. "So emotional."

"Dumb fox." Judy muttered as she closed her eyes and let out a content sigh tears rolling down her face. She was worn out from the emotional rollercoaster she had just been through.

Judy took a moment to let her thoughts inventory everything. Mammals had always joked about rabbits. They would tease them for being cute, needing constant affection, and the urge to multiply was always used in bar jokes. There was one thing that rarely came up though: Luck. Right now Judy felt like the luckiest mammal in all of Zootopia. She had survived the car crash. More importantly however her friendship with her amazing fox had survived as well. The dreams she had been having about her partner didn't even cross her mind at this moment. The only thing that mattered was what they had was still strong, that would do….for now.

"Now can you do me a favor?" Nick said as he slowly pulled away from the embrace. Judy's face lit up at the thought of doing anything for Nick. The fox picked up his ZPD jacket and fished around in the pockets for a moment. He pulled out a small pack of different colored markers and placed them on Judy's bed. "I have been having to hide from Benny this whole time, I told him no one signs it till you do"

Nick placed the arm wrapped in a cast on Judy's bed as he leaned down. "Try not to make it too cheesy." The fox said as he rested his chin in his good paw and gave Judy a wink.

Judy almost let out a squeak in excitement as she quickly grabbed the pack of markers and pulled a bright orange one out. She popped the cap off and began to giggle with excitement. Before Judy could begin to trace a large smiling carrot however Nick grabbed his phone from her bed and smirked, "You may want to hurry by the way, they will be here soon"

"Who?" Judy asked as she looked up from her blank canvas, concern showing on her face.

Nick scrolled through the call log and brought up the most recent call he had made just half an hour ago: Stu Hopps.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Meet the parents, again

"They know?" Judy asked in a mild panic. Her purple eyes going wide as she looked from Nick and then to the large wooden door as if it were about to burst open at that very moment. The bunny then looked back at her partner.

"Of course they know!" Nick began to explain, he looked surprised that this was such a shock. "Judy we were in a traffic incident that put us in the hospital. It is the ZPD policy to notify your emergency contact when something like that happens, come on fluff that's day one policy."

"You're my emergency contact though!" Judy blurted out as she waved her hands in the air, causing a slight wince in pain from her side. This also caused a playful duck from Nick as he tried to avoid the open marker still gripped in Judy's hands.

"Wait, I am?" Nick asked as he narrowly avoided the marker as if it were a sharpened blade. A sly smirk began to cross his face.

Judy was grabbing her side as she winced again, this time not in pain however but more in embarrassment. "Yeah, when we became partners you know, I just thought it would be better to have someone close by that could help" Judy could feel her cheeks flush as she began to blush. Now that the threat of losing Nick was gone her emotions from before began to show up. If this fox was willing to go through a car crash with her, maybe he would be game for a little more in the near future. Judy suddenly realized something though, "Wait, who's your emergency contact then?"

"Flash" Nick muttered smugly.

"Flash?! Why Flash?" Judy asked, feigning insult.

"I wanted someone I knew who could get to me quickly." Nick said as he stuck out his tongue.

"Quick? You chose Flash over your bunny partner who broke all speed records at the academy?" Judy asked as she scrunched her nose at the thought of Flash beating Judy to Nick.

"Your quick, but I'm just concerned how many more cruisers you would crash to get to me." Nick threw out jokingly.

Judy gasped in shock, "You did not just make a joke about this! We are still in the hospital!" She was tempted to slug him in the arm, but realized it would be more painful than normal, what with one arm covered in bandages and the other in a full blown cast.

"The way I see it fluff after what you put us through I get to do whatever I want," Nick began, his tone was not one of anger but more like a teacher explaining something to his students, "That includes making jokes about your driving"

"Alright" Judy mumbled

"Always being the driver when I want to" Nick continued to list off his demands.

"Fine" The bunny said as she rolled her eyes.

"Picking the radio station" He said slyly

"Oh come on, that's pushing it a little" Judy responded with a playful wink.

The duo began to laugh at this point. Even though both of them were covered in bandages and recovering from an incident that could have easily cost them their lives, the two seemed happy. Judy would try her best to remember this moment. It may have not been the most pleasant of circumstances and it wasn't very romantic, but it was the friendship that she had with Nick that would make this memory stick out.

As the two began to settle down Judy remembered what had started them down this particular conversation and she suddenly felt a bit of dread deep down inside. She quickly looked at the door as if it was about to explode. She then looked frantically back at Nick. "Wait, focus!" she said as she reached over and grabbed Nick by the collar and drew him close. "What do they know?!" There was a fire in Judy's eyes which caused Nick to smile weakly.

"Only that you were involved in a traffic incident and have been in the hospital the past few days. They only got into town the other day!" Nick explained as he tried to pull away from the angry bunny.

"They have been here in Zootopia all this time?!" Judy almost shouted at this point, it was hard to tell if it was out of anger or panic however.

"Well yeah? Why wouldn't they be? They have been here before! Remember when you solved the last case and they threw that concert?" Nick asked weakly as he tried to tug his shirt collar out of Judy's grasp.

"WE!" Judy shouted at the startled fox. Nick had a look of confusion on his face at the last word, "We solved the case! Never forget that!" Judy explained, she couldn't explain why but she felt somewhat insulted that Nick implied it was all Judy and not their teamwork.

This only caused Nick to chuckle as he gave Judy a slight nod, "Sorry Carrots, We" He corrected himself as he placed his good paw on Judy's which was currently gripping his shirts collar. "Would you mind? Still a little sore for some strange reason…no idea why"

Even now he was trying to joke around! Why was he always trying to joke around? That's when Judy realized what Nick was doing. She loosened her grip on Nick's collar and slowly sat back in bed as she tried to collect herself. Like always he was trying to make her laugh, trying to calm her down, and trying to make her feel better. "Sorry Nick," Judy whispered as she rubbed her eyes and did her best to slow her breathing.

"What am I gonna say to them Nick?" Judy muttered as she lowered her paws and looked at her partner, hoping he had some sly trick up his sleeve. "How am I gonna explain to them that I caused all this?"

"You didn't" Nick said as if it were a fact.

Judy looked confused, her eyes quickly scanned the top of the fox's head, wondering how much brain damage he had suffered during the crash. "Yes I did, Nick I'm so sorry, but I was being reckless and not thinking straight. I was thinking that if we solved this case quickly then you and I could..."

Nick however cut her off, "You didn't cause the crash, they found a puncture in the back tire, which caused our vehicle to fish tail." The fox began to explain, a serious look on his face. "You tried to correct the sudden turn but we hit a patch of ice in the road which caused us to spin out of control and go off the side of the road." As Nick ended the explanation to the crash he gave Judy a sly wink.

It took a second for the bunny to process everything, but she then began to put together what Nick had been implying, "Sly fox" She whispered with an impressed look. She bit her lower lip as she looked him over. For some reason Nick looked even more handsome to her all of the sudden. "Wait Nick, what happens if they don't find a puncture?"

"Don't worry fluff butt, they will." Nick said with a slight nod.

-Earlier at the ZPD-

Williams was standing at the end of the large ZPD fleet garage. His expression was one of both annoyance and contemplation. In front of the gruff Zebra sat the battered hulk of steel that was once one of his ZPD response vehicles. "Find it?" Williams asked as he looked up from the clipboard he was looking over with the report of what had caused one of his precious vehicles to become a chunk of twisted metal.

"No sir!" said a young looking Thompson gazelle in a blue mechanic jumpsuit. The name patch on the gazelles chest read 'Smith' with a small ZPD patch just above it. "I have checked both tires, they are completely chewed up but still intact, we should be able to find a puncture hole of some kind indicating a nail or something, but I can't find it sir"

Williams rolled his eyes as he took a step closer to the vehicle, "You sure about that Smith?"

"Yes sir, I can look it over again but its just not here!" Smith began to explain, sounding annoyed at the situation he found himself in.

"Are you 100% sure Smith?" Williams asked, starting to sound like he was losing patience.

At this point Smith stood up, his jumpsuit covered in grease and other stains. He had been working on the vehicle for what felt like hours and had just about lost it at this point. "Listen Sarge, I know I just got here but I know what a puncture looks like and its not here! How do we even know there is one? How do we know that fox was telling the truth? He's a fox for crying out loud!"

"I swear…freaking rookies" Williams said through gritted teeth. He shoved the clipboard into the gazelle's arms and took a knee. It only took a second for Williams to say anything, "Here, right here" The zebra said as he pointed to a large chunk of tire. Smith slowly leaned over and squinted his eyes as he scanned the large black surface, unable to find what the zebra had found.

At this point Williams turned around and lunged forward, grabbing the startled gazelle by the shoulders. The zebra then flipped the small mammal over and in one fluid motion plunged one of Smith's antlers right into the tire. There was a loud bang as the tire was punctured and exploded at the sudden release of pressure.

Smith's ears were ringing and his head was spinning as he tried to regain his composure. When the small mechanic tried to move he felt something stopping him, his antler was still stuck deep in the rubber of the tire. As he struggled to try and get free he felt a shadow roll over him, the trapped mammal looked up nervously.

Williams was towering over the stuck gazelle, a look of determination on his face, "Listen here rook, I don't care what you think of foxes. But when an OFFICER like Nicholas Wilde bends the truth, it's for a very good reason! If he says there is a puncture and you can't find it, you make a fucking puncture! Got it?"

Exert from ZPD report on traffic Incident involving Officer Judy Hopps and Officer Nicholas Wilde:

Drivers Side rear tire condition: Puncture

Description: 1 inch hole found in rear driver side tire. Most likely caused by debris in road.

Mechanic: Smith. Supervisor: Williams.

Judy continued to look up at the fox and began shake her head in disbelief. "Nick, when this is all over, I don't know how, but I will make it up to you"

"There is one thing carrots," Nick whispered as he slowly leaned closer to Judy. The bunny felt her heart skip a beat as her eyes darted from Nick's emerald eyes to his warm and inviting lips that seemed to be getting closer.

"Yes?" Judy muttered as her lips parted slightly. Her heart was racing at this point. 'Please don't let this be a dream!' She thought excitedly.

Nick was inches from Judy, the bunny closed her eyes as her ears began to droop, she felt herself leaning up towards Nick.

"Blueberries, like a literal ton of blueberries!" The fox said playfully into Judy's good ear. Judy stopped as she opened her eyes and looked up at the grinning fox. She was not amused and apparently her expression showed it.

"What?" Nick asked playfully, Judy noticed his tail was swaying behind him happily.

"Hate you" She muttered as she began to cross her arms and look away from her partner.

"What did I do?" Nick asked, trying to act innocent.

"Seriously hate you," Judy said as she tried her best to keep her tone serious, it wasn't working to well as she felt a small chuckle start.

"Aww, wait, did you think I was about to…? Oh no, I was just trying to get close so you could hear me better!" The fox continued to tease.

"Go away!" Judy muttered as she gave a shooing motion with her hands, still not looking at Nick.

Judy suddenly felt a pressure against her forehead and realized it was Nick, his lips pressed against her fur, as he gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "You know you love me." He whispered.

"Do I know that?" Judy asked, pausing longer than normal, hoping to make the fox squirm a little. Judy finally turned to look at her friend, "Yes, Yes I do."

Nick was grinning from ear to ear at this point, he was about to speak but was stopped by a commotion on the other side of the hospital room's door.

Judy instinctively reached out to grab one of Nick's paws, she felt Nick's cast and looked down at her own gray paw against the white of the cast. She then looked up at her partner with a slight panic on her eyes. "Have you seen them yet?" she asked nervously.

Nick gave a slight nod as he took Judy's paw in his own and gave it an encouraging squeeze. He then began to stand up straight and adjusted himself, trying to look as presentable as he could be.

There were voices on the other side of the door. They sounded somewhat frantic. Judy had trouble making out the muffled voices, she heard the occasional sob as the voices grew closer. Judy felt her good ear droop down as her bandages one remained at an odd angle. She felt terrible. Not only had she put Nick through all this, but now she had dragged her parents into it. Her mind began to play more images in her head. Her mother and father receiving the call that their daughter was in the hospital. She could see her mother's eyes begin to swell up with tears, another image of her father running to their family truck, then a final image of her parents their eyes frantically searching a large hallway for their daughter. It was almost too much for Judy to bear.

Judy began to sit up straight as the voices grew louder to the point they were on the other side of the door. She could hear someone sniffle on the other side of the large wooden door followed by several knocks

"Here we go," Judy mumbled as she looked over at the door to her room. She could feel Nick's gaze as the Fox looked at her. "Come in!" Judy said in the strongest voice she could muster. She had to be strong and act tough. She wanted to show her parents that she was fine.

The door knob quickly turned and the door swung open revealing Judy's parents who quickly rushed into the room. "Oh Judy your awake! Thank the gods!" Judy's father blurted out as he practically dove into the room and towards his daughter. Judy noticed that her father's eyes were red and the brown fur on his cheeks was matted. She put two and two together and realized who the sobs had been coming from. It actually made more sense, her father was always a little more emotional than her mother. Stu practically hopped onto the bed as he brought his daughter into a tight hug. Judy felt Nick release her hand and take a step aside, allowing the family a little space during the reunion.

Judy winced and let out a pained gasp, "Hi dad!" she said as she gently wrapped her arms around her father.

"Oh Stu let Judy go! You're hurting the poor girl!" Bonnie shot out as she put a hand on her husband's shoulder and pulled him away. Much to Judy's relief she felt her father loosen his grip.

"Oh, I'm sorry Jude! I was just so worried, we haven't seen you in ages! And seeing you like this!" Stu began to explain as he stepped aside so Bonnie could embrace their daughter as well.

"Seen her in ages? Stu we checked on her just yesterday!" Judy's mother said as she shook her head. Bonnie had a warm smile on her face as she leaned up and gave her daughter a loving kiss on the cheek. "How are you doing dear?" She asked as she gently placed a hand on Judy's cheek and gave it a slight rub.

Judy just looked into her mother's warm gaze and smiled, "I'm fine you guys, the doctor told me I should be healing up nicely very soon" Judy explained as she placed her paw on her mothers and squeezed. She could still hear the occasional sniffle coming from her father however, he would take some convincing. "I'm just sorry you had to be put through all this!"

"Oh hush now!" Bonnie said as she stood up straight and waved her hand around, "Judy this wasn't your fault!"

"Yeah, it's those dangerous roads all over this darn city!" Stu piped in as he began to pull a chair up to Judy's bedside. "Here you go Bon." He said to his wife as he patted the seat. Bonnie smiled at her husband as she took a seat. It was at this point Bonnie looked up at Nick, "And how are you doing Nicholas, have you had a chance to get some rest?" The small bunny asked as she reached up and gave the fox a very gentle pat on back.

The sight was actually somewhat amusing to Judy. Watching her mother ask Nick how he was. Judy was sure that if this was a few years ago both her parents would be trying to drag Judy from the room and away from the dangerous looking fox. It wasn't until recently that their opinions had changed. There had been some growing pains at first of course. She remembered when her parents first came to Zootopia to meet Nick after the night howler case. There was some slight trepidation and it was extremely awkward at first. To Nick's merit however he managed to lay on the charm and soon had Judy's parents laughing and speaking to him as if he was a long lost relative. Nick had a way with other mammals, he always seemed to know how to lighten the mood.

Nick smiled down at Bonnie and nodded, "Been a little rough what with the new outfit and all," He said as he raised his casted left arm slightly, "But I am doing just fine, the doctors hope to remove the cast soon actually, guess I am a little more durable than they originally thought. Otherwise just gonna be a little bruised for a bit, I don't mind though, ladies love scars" He said with a wink. Judy thought she saw her mother blush slightly while speaking to Nick. 'Mom! What the hell! He's mine!' She yelled internally.

Stu let out a chuckle, "well hopefully you won't have anything permanent there Nick." Judy's father said as he placed a hand on Bonnie's shoulder. "Bon and I are just so grateful you two are alright!"

"We were very lucky Judy managed to land us in the snow, had we gone into something more solid who knows what would have happened," Nick said as he nodded over at Judy. She let out a weak smile. She truly had the greatest partner in the whole city to not only put up with all this but also for covering their tracks.

"I think you have been very lucky to survive this long with Judy's driving!" Stu teased, he received a sharp elbow in the ribs from his wife.

"Stu hush up!" Bonnie snapped as she glared at her husband.

Stu let out a feeble smile and then looked over at Nick. "She gets her high speed driving habits from her mother!" Stu tried to whisper, this just earned him another sharp jab.

Nick began to chuckle but as he looked over at Judy he stopped as his eyes met hers. A timid smile crossed his lips he then looked over at Stu. Both of them did their best to remain quiet, fearing the wrath of the Hopps women.

Judy kept her fiery gaze on Nick but deep down she was happy to see her family was so accepting of Nick. Her father was even trying to bring Nick in on some family jokes it seemed. She only hoped this mindset held in the future, who knew what would happen if her parents found out about the relationship she wanted to pursue with Nick.

The silence was finally broken by Bonnie when she was sure Stu had learned his lesson and wouldn't make anymore driving jabs. "So what did the doctor have to say sweetie?"

Judy proceeded to explain what Dr. Sweet had told her. She did her best to downplay a great deal, making it sound like a few bumps and bruises. Judy could still see her father's eyes glaze over with more tears. Her mother kept a constant look of concern but kept her composure. When Judy finally finished Stu let out a sniffle. Much to Judy's amusement she saw Nick grab a box of tissues off the bedside table and hand it over to the upset rabbit. "Thanks Nick" Stu said gratefully as he took the box.

There was a sudden rumbling noise emanating from Judy's sheets. Everyone looked over at the gray bunny who suddenly let out a nervous chuckle, "sorry, forgot how hungry I was." Judy mumbled as she looked sheepishly over at the others.

Bonnie just smiled as she quickly hopped from her seat and reached for a bag she had been carrying that was placed under her seat. She produced a bag of snacks she had prepared for the visit. Both Judy and Nick eyed the bag longingly as Bonnie began to pull a few home made carrot shaped cookies and the likes from the bag. "Don't tell that doctor of yours, she probably wouldn't approve, after all she had all those nice gifts removed when you got here!" Bonnie said as she handed Judy one of the cookies and then turned to Nick, offering the Fox a small bag with his name written across the top.

"Gifts?" Judy asked as she took a bite of the sweet tasting cookie.

"Well in your doc's defense it's not just her, it's a ZPD policy. Only family members and cleared mammals are allowed to know the exact room of an officer who is currently incapacitated." Nick began to explain. Judy recognized the policy. It was in place to ensure that no one attempted to attack an officer when they were unconscious and unable to defend themselves. The gifts would normally be held somewhere in the hospital, most likely reception, until the officer came round. "Since you are awake though I am sure we can go retrieve them. Might take a trip or two though, you have a lot of fans." Nick explained as he placed the bag full of home made food on the bedside table.

Judy got a whiff of the contents of the bag and noticed that it was filled with pred food. She recognized the smell of smashed bugs and protein substitute. Bonnie had taken the time to not only make Judy some amazing cookies but also make Nick some food he would actually enjoy. Judy made a mental note to get the recipe from her mother. 'How did I get so lucky to have so many awesome mammals in my life?' She thought as she looked at her mother with pride.

"Let me help you with that Nick!" Stu offered as he began to walk towards the door, followed closely by the Fox. The two exited the room and closed the door behind them. Leaving Judy alone with her mother. Bonnie sat down on the side of the bed and looked at Judy with a smirk.

"He is so sweet dear, he kept us up to date while we traveled here. He even picked us up from the train station!" Bonnie began to explain as she gently scooped up Judy's paws in her own and gave a gentle squeeze.

"He is pretty darn awesome, don't let him hear that though, his ego is already pretty swollen," Judy teased as she scrunched her nose and giggled. She realized just how much she missed moments like this with her parents. Living in Zootopia made her homesick every once and a while, but she still loved the city life.

"So! Are you excited for your date?" Bonnie asked with an excited giggle.

"What!? Wait! How?!" Judy asked as her eyes went wide with panic.

"Oh your friend Benny told me, you know that sweet cheetah you work with at the ZPD?" Bonnie said happily.

'That gossipy bitch!' Judy thought as she tried to put on a smile, her eyes were twitching though which gave her true feelings away. "Well wasn't that nice of him."

"Yes, it was!" Bonnie said, either not noticing the sarcasm in Judy's voice or choosing to ignore it.

"Does dad know?" Judy asked nervously as her ears drooped slightly.

"No, he is still playing the part of small town farmer in the big city, I honestly don't know if he has heard half the conversations on this trip."

"Well, I mean I am a little nervous. The whole situation is a little odd." Judy began as she laid back in her bed, the positioning of it however made it feel like she was sitting up either way. "I mean we have been partners for a while and he was one of the first friends I had when I moved here, but I just don't want to ruin what Nick and I have already."

Bonnie's expression changed from one of warm happiness to confusion as Judy spoke. She tilted her head to the side slightly as her ears twitched to the words coming from her daughter, "Wait, Nick?"

"Yeah..." Judy said slowly as she began to sit up. Suddenly the gray bunny realized something. Her mother said she knew that Judy had a date but Benny must have failed to mention with who. Her eyes went wide with the new knowledge. "Mom, oh no, I thought you knew already!" Judy began to panic as she tried to read her mother's expression.

Bonnie was no longer looking at Judy, she was looking down at the side of the bed, her eyes darting around as she appeared deep in thought. Bonnie looked up at her daughter, her face expressionless, "A fox?" Bonnie muttered. Judy could detect a hint of emotions hidden behind the words, but she couldn't figure out exactly how her mother felt.

Before Judy could say anything the door opened as several mammals entered. Judy grabbed her mother's paws quickly and shook her head, in a silent plead not to say anything to her father. Bonnie merely nodded, her expression turning somewhat cold.

Stu waddled into the room, his arms filled with several boxes and a pile of letters. Nick was close bad with a wheel chair that had several brightly colored vases filled with exotic flowers. Just behind the fox came Deb who was holding onto several strings that kept a series of get well balloons from floating away.

Normally Judy would be ecstatic at the showering of gifts, but her mind was stuck on the conversation she had just had with her mother. It had not exactly gone the way she had hoped. Bonnie however quickly jumped up and greeted the group. "Oh isn't this just lovely, this will make this dreadful room warmer!"

"Few more things at my desk, I'll be right back!" Deb said as she excused herself from the room.

"Thank you dear!" Bonnie said after the nurse, "Oh Judy look at all these get well cards!"

Judy snapped back into the present and scanned all the gifts and messages of concern and get well. She couldn't help but smile at the out pouring of love and support. There were several letters from different departments at the ZPD, a few from city Hall, a super cute one from Benny which had a few sprinkles in the envelope.

"Look at you little miss popular!" Nick teased as he lifted up a small stuffed carrot and placed it next to Judy. She gave him a sweet smile but her eyes darted to her mother who was busy smelling some of the lovely looking flowers. Judy felt a shiver run down her spine.

At this point she was reaching the bottom of the pile of get well letters. She finally came across a light purple envelope that had a small bulge the size of the marble. She removed the card first, having been raised to read cards before enjoying the present. The card was a simple blank white piece of paper. It had a series of letter obviously cut out from different magazines and hastily glued to the paper.

"Get well soon Officer Hopps! We have big plans ahead!" Judy read aloud, looking slightly confused.

"Weird." Nick stated as he looked over Judy's shoulder. "No name, guess you have a secret admirer." The fox said as he went back to sorting through all the gifts for Judy.

Judy reached into the envelope and pulled out a small blue looking orb. It felt smooth to the touch and was filled with a dark violet liquid. She rolled it around in her paws for a second as she studied the strange object. The bunnies purple eyes suddenly went wide when she finally recognized what she was holding. She quickly threw the orb to the edge of her bed as if it would try and bite her.

"Nick!" Judy shouted, causing everyone in the small room to jump and stare at her in panic.

"What is it? Are you alright?" Nick said as he practically jumped to his partner's side. The fox followed Judy's gaze and saw the small ball at the edge of the bed. "No… it can't be!"

"What is it Jude!?" Stu asked, his voice shaking.

"Night howler." Judy let out in a whisper.

* * *

 **Just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for the reviews. It does mean a lot hearing that you are all enjoying the story so far! It is also awesome to see how many of you have both favorited and started to follow this story!**

 **I am currently trying to think of a way to say thank you. Any ideas feel free to message me! There are a few ideas that come to mind and we will keep you posted!**

 **Please keep the reviews coming!**

 **Thanks again!**

 **-Blue**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Get well soon!

"Judy you have to stay on bed!" Nick was practically shouting as he did his best to keep the little rabbit from jumping out of bed, which was difficult for him with one arm in a cast. "We have to wait for Bogo!"

"No time! Let me up! We have to find them!" Judy shot back with fire in her voice. Her wide violet eyes went from Nick and then back to the envelope which contained the night howler orb and the letter it had come with.

Minutes before Judy had been holding the small orb, the thought of such a dangerous thing being so close gave her chills. Nick had reacted before anyone else had, after Judy had thrown the pellet to the front of her bed he had scooped it up with the envelope it had come in, placed the letter inside, and sealed the envelope before placing it to the side. Nick had then asked Judy's parents to go and get the doctor while he notified the ZPD. The whole series of events had only taken a few minutes, but to Judy it felt like hours! Every second she wasn't out of bed and hunting down those responsible was another second wasted!

Judy was now trying in vain to get out of bed so she could get dressed and start hunting down the maniacs that had the nerve of teasing her in such a manner. Even in Nick's wounded condition he proved to be quite strong. "Please Nick! They could be close by! The envelope had no postmark! It must have been dropped off!" She explained as she pointed at the envelope.

"That may be, but what are we gonna do about it? We are in no condition to take anyone on, especially the nut jobs that have been doing this!" Nick explained, a look of concern in his eyes. He did have a valid point. Judy winced from the pain in her side and the struggle had begun to ware her down, she could feel the sweat that was rolling off her forehead, and her breathing was labored. The bunny finally conceded and laid back in bed, allowing her heart rate to go back down.

"Nick, they know who we are, they know we are on the case," she began to explain nervously between breaths.

Nick remained silent and merely nodded as he began to sit down in the chair next to Judy's bed. He looked over at the envelope and glared at it, as if the object was laughing at them. "All the more reason to take this slow and collect our thoughts, remember what happened the last time you rushed?" The fox asked as he raised his cast slightly.

The question stung Judy and she had to look away for a moment. He was correct of course, but that just made it he question hurt even more. "I'm sorry," Judy muttered as she looked back at her partner. It was probably the 10th time in the past half hour she had apologized to him.

"Blueberries!" Was all Nick said as he continued to stare at the envelope, a smirk running across his lips.

'I'll give you more than just Blueberries when we are out of here and alone in my apartment!' Judy thought as she scanned her wounded partner, her eyes lingering on his lips. "Sure Nick, as much as our farm can grow!" She let out in a whisper. She couldn't fully explain why but she wanted to reach out and touch him so badly at that moment. Just holding his hand would be enough, she really needed some kind of physical contact at that moment. She decided to act on these emotions this time.

Judy slowly began to sit up, scooting over towards the side of her bed. Nick looked over at his partner and sighed are began to get up, preparing himself for another fight. "Wait!" Judy said sharply, raising a hand in defense, "Just, please don't get up!" It was less of a plea and more of a command. Nick froze and looked at Judy with apprehension.

"I promise, this isn't a trick to get to work, just please Nick, I need you to stay right there," Judy explained as she slowly put her feet over the side of the bed. Much to her relief the fox sat back down in his chair and watched Judy with hesitation. Judy hopped out of bed and instantly wished she had gone slower. She had been unconscious for a few days and her legs hadn't seen any use the whole time. She wobbled slightly as her legs tried to support her. She felt her muscles ache in protest as she nearly lost her footing.

Before she could fall to the floor however she felt Nick's good paw loop under her arm and raise her up gently. She looked into her partners eyes and smiled in thanks. Slowly and steadily she took a few awkward steps towards Nick, she felt like a kiten that was learning how to walk. When she finally reached Nick she climbed into his lap. The whole while Nick was giving her a surprised but amused look. He didn't protest or even say a word during the ordeal, he seemed to understand what Judy intended to do and knew it was best to just let it happen.

Judy settled down and gently placed her arms on Nick's chest, she then rested her head between her paws. Her good ear was pressed against the fox and she listened to the rhythm of his heart beat. The bunny felt pure joy roll through her as Nick wrapped his good arm around Judy's waist, both to hold her close and keep her from falling off his lap. "You bunnies..." he began to say smugly. Judy however didn't let him finish as she made a shushing noise. "Please don't, just let me enjoy this, quietly" Judy whispered.

Nick complied and the two remained embraced in silence. 'Do it! Just reach up! He is so close!' Her inner voice hinted. It wouldn't take much right now. If Judy wanted to all she would have to do is look up and raise her lips just a few inches to meet Nick's. She could be sharing a kiss with him in just moments. It could lead to whatever he wanted to, after all she was still naked under her hospital gown.

The seconds turned into minutes and Judy remained where she was, she felt like she was in a trance as she listened to Nick's steady heartbeat. She could feel her eyes lids grow heavy as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. Her thoughts continued to lead down the same path. She could see herself slowly guiding her paws up Nick's chest until they were looped around his neck. She was pulling him down, closer to her, her lips gently pressing against his in a warm kiss. In reality though she remained perfectly still, her head gently nuzzled against her partner as she enjoyed being wrapped in his arm. 'You're not gonna do it? Are you?' Her inner voice sounded disappointed.

To Nick it must have felt like a small nuzzle, but Judy was shaking her head so gently that it would have gone unnoticed completely if she hadn't had her head against him. She was losing herself in the moment and just smiled contently. She wanted so badly to be more with Nick. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and embrace him in a kiss, to hold him close, maybe even lead him back to her bed for more. She however kept thinking about how warm she felt like this. How the sounds of the hospital room melted away and how Zootopia itself seemed to just slow down for her to enjoy this moment with her fox. She didn't need a kiss, not right now at least, she just needed to stay like this a bit longer.

Much to Judy's disappointment however Zootopia had not completely paused and time was not at a standstill. She could hear the door to her room slowly open. The bunny knew she should probably get out of the somewhat compromising position with Nick but her body refused to move at that moment. Not out of embarrassment or panic however. It felt more like when she was waking up from a good nap and just wanted to enjoy a few more seconds. Nick however tensed up slightly and made a slight coughing noise. "Umm Carrots" He whispered into her ear.

"Well I see the patient is up and about," Dr. Sweet said somewhat sternly, "Don't really remember saying you could leave your bed officer."

Judy let out a long sigh and gently patted Nick on the chest, signaling she was about to move. With a great deal of effort she slowly began to sit up and turn in Nick's lap so she could look up at the lioness that had entered the room. Much to Judy's relief it was just her doctor, her parents were nowhere in sight, that could have made things a little more complicated.

"Could have sworn I told you that you needed plenty of rest and time to recover." Dr. Sweet continued her barrage as she walked over to the bedside. "Get into bed, now"

"Doctor! We just met! What kind of fox do you think I am?" Nick said jokingly. "I appreciate the offer but I am spoken for!" The fox gave Judy a gentle squeeze which caused her to squirm slightly and let out a happy giggle, her cheeks turning red.

Dr. Sweet just rolled her eyes and slowly put her head in her paw, "I meant Judy! Judy needs to be in bed!" The lioness muttered in an annoyed tone, "Alone!"

"I'm sorry doctor" Judy muttered as she slid from Nick's lap. It wasn't as difficult to walk this time but she was glad when she felt Nick's paw under her arm as he gingerly led her back to the bed and helped her over the side. Judy gave Nick a weak smile in thanks as she got comfortable.

"Now what is it you needed from me?" Dr. Sweet said as she checked her clipboard before looking back at her patient. "Your parents said it was urgent."

Judy began to explain what had transpired, explaining briefly the facts of the case, and the letter she had just received. Dr. Sweet remained quiet the whole time, her eyes going from Nick, the envelope with the night howler orb inside, and then finally back to Judy.

"Which is why doctor I need an earlier release! This evidence could be the key to cracking the case! We must be getting close!" Judy explained desperately hoping her doctor would listen and allow Judy to leave earlier than planned.

Dr. Sweet remained quiet for some time. She finally let out a sigh as she rubbed her eyes and thought about what steps to take. "I need to talk to your chief about all this officers," the lioness began to explain as she looked up at the two. "I can't make any promises about an early return to duty but I can meet you halfway. Normally we would want to keep you in our care for a few more days since you just now came round"

Judy's eyes went wide, the thought of remaining in the hospital room while some maniac shot up the city with night howler pellets made her feel sick. Judy looked over at Nick who was still looking over at Dr. Sweet. Judy looked back at her doctor and prepared herself for what came next.

"However, seeing as you are healing up quickly, and have already decided you can walk on your own, still a little annoyed on that one officer, I guess we can see about an early release." Dr. Sweet muttered in defeat, "But you still have to stay overnight! We need to see how you are sleeping now that you have come round and I still have a handful of tests! That is nonnegotiable!"

Judy was about to protest and request to be let go today but she heard Nick cough. She looked over at the fox who was giving her a stern look, "Carrots, you need this, trust me!" He said firmly. Judy felt her good ear droop as she looked around in defeat. "Fine, but I want to be released as early as possible tomorrow!" Judy muttered as she crossed her arms, looking from Nick and then to Dr. Sweet.

The lioness smirked as she looked over at Nick, "I can see why you two are partners Officer Wilde."

"What can I say? She grows on you," Nick said as he gave a weak shrug.

Dr. Sweet just gave a small smirk as she turned to leave the room. Before the lioness opened the door however she turned and looked at the two officers, "I may be a stickler for rules but you should have said something about your relationship Nick, had I known your involvement with Judy I could have made an exception about seeing her sooner."

Judy's eyes went wide as she looked at Dr. Sweet and then timidly over at Nick. Much to Judy's amusement Nick had the same look on his face. She also noticed that Nick neglected to correct any of the doctor's assumptions and merely nodded, "Next time I will make it clearer!" The fox said confidently as he turned to look at Judy. The wink gave her nearly made Judy go completely over the edge. The little bunny blushed as her heart rate sky rocketed. Much to Judy's annoyance the machine next to her bed beeped loudly and showed the bunny's elevated heart rate. Nick snorted as he looked at the machine that had betrayed Judy.

Dr. Sweet said nothing as she opened the door and began to exit the room. Before the door was completely closed however the lioness said a few words that made Judy shoot up in bed. "Ah Chief Bogo, nice to see you again, a quick word about your officer if you wouldn't mind." The door made a firm click as it closed behind the doctor that had just left.

"Oh great, Buffalo butt is here," Nick muttered as he tried to cross his arms. The motion looked somewhat ridiculous since one of the fox's arms was still in a cast. Judy giggled as the Fox tried to do his best to play off the awkward situation he found himself in. Nick finally gave up and just scooted his chair over to the bedside table which he rested his good arm on, careful not to touch the envelope that contained the new evidence for the case.

Nick's less than casual execution of getting comfortable made Judy realize she hadn't asked Nick if he was ready to return to the case. He had been in the same car as her and had suffered just as badly, if not worse. She hadn't even asked him if he needed time to recover. She wasn't only pushing herself, she was pushing Nick. Though the fox did his best to give off a strong face, it was obvious that he needed to rest as well.

Judy hadn't noticed it but she was obviously staring at Nick, who glanced over a few times in her direction before slowly turning to her. His eyes wide as he began to lean towards her, maintaining perfect eye contact, "can I help you?" He asked as he continued to stare her down playfully.

Judy gave a weak smirk, "How ya feeling partner?" Judy asked in a concerned tone as she looked Nick over, assessing her friend as if he was a statue that was about to crumble.

"Well I got this really bad itch on my arm," Nick muttered as he raised the cast. "Plus I got this crazy bunny for a partner who I think is trying to get me killed! At least she's cute though!"

"Don't use that..." Judy said, about to correct Nick for what felt like the 100th time, she didn't finish her sentence however as Nick raised his arm that was wrapped in a cast and proceeded to point at some of the bandages spread across his fur. "Sorry, I guess you have earned it, but seriously it's all been about my condition, what about you? You hanging in there?"

Nick began to get the hint and let out a long sigh as he sat back in his seat, "I'll be ok carrots, I'm tougher than I look."

The conversation was cut short as there was a gentle knocking at the door. "We don't want any!" Nick shouted without looking away from Judy, giving her a playful wine. Judy just rolled her eyes as she shook her head, "Come in!"

The door swung open and revealed chief Bogo. He looked tired but just as imposing as ever. The large water Buffalo strode into the room and shut the door behind him, "I see that car crash didn't change that wonderful sense of humor you have Wilde," Bogo said sarcastically. He tried his best to maintain a stern look when he gazed over at Nick, it didn't work very well however. It was obvious that Bogo was happy to see both of his officers alive. He gave Nick a slight nod and Judy could see the smallest of smiles on the chief's face. "Hopps, glad you finally came round. The doctors were worried for a little while there, I told them it would take a lot more to stop my most stubborn officer." The water Buffalo said as he looked over at Judy who was doing her best to sit up straight in bed. The chief chuckled when he realized what Judy was doing, "At ease Hopps, this is not work, I am here to just make sure you are alright, don't strain yourself on my part."

Judy relaxed at her leader's words and nodded firmly, she was still doing her best to remain professional. Nick on the other hand was still slouched in his seat, leaning against the bedside table with his standard sly smirk in his face. Bogo shook his head as he looked over at the fox again, "No need to tell you that eh Wilde." Bogo muttered as he eyed the fox. His eyes then fell on the envelope. Nick had already informed the ZPD dispatch over the phone the situation, they had obviously passed on the information to him when they had given him an update on Judy's condition. "Is that it?" The buffalo asked as he looked at the envelope as if it was full of explosives. It might have well have been with all the trouble the night howlers had caused the city already.

Nick sat up and nodded, Judy could see her partner put his game face on as he gently picked up the envelope and handed it over to Bogo. As the water buffalo took the envelope and opened it to inspect the contents, cautiously of course, Judy began to explain what had happened when she originally received the unexpected gift. When she finished her story Bogo sealed the envelope and looked up at the duo. He seemed to be lost in thought for a moment but finally found the words he was looking for. "I will bring this down to the lab right away, maybe we can get lucky and find out more info, as for the case..." He looked nervously at Nick and then back at Judy.

"Nick and I will be happy to share our notes with the others working on it and look forward to helping them when we return from a week of recovery." Judy said as if this was already a fact. Bogo had an extremely shocked look on his face. Obviously he had expected a difficult debate with Judy about staying home and recovering. Judy was a little surprised herself as the words had left her lips. Normally she would have been fighting with Bogo and begging him to let her get right back to work. This was a very important case after all. Those responsible had to be brought to justice. However in their current states Judy and Nick may be more of a hindrance than a help to the case. "If that's ok with you Chief."

Bogo's mouth was slightly agape as he stood their speechless. He looked over at Nick who looked equally as surprised as the water buffalo and just shrugged his shoulders.

"Of course Hopps, take all the time you need, I am going to need you two at 100% if we are to solve this one," Bogo said as a smile appeared. "Give me a call when you are ready to return to duty, till then rest up and stay sharp."

Bogo turned to leave but stopped when he realized he had forgotten something. He reached his large hooved hands into his rear pocket and produced a handful of envelopes, all addressed to Judy and Nick. "Angie and some of her friends made you some cards. Also a few officers who haven't been able to swing by yet." Bogo approached the bed and handed the letters over to Judy who couldn't help but get a little teary eye," Awww, thanks chief! Tell everyone thank you for me!" Judy thumbed through the letters casually, her eyes scanning her own name written with different forms of handwriting, she noticed one was in Bogo's style and smirked.

Chief Bogo excused himself and gently closed the door behind him as he left. Leaving Judy alone with Nick once more. Judy could feel Nick staring at her as she placed the un opened letters in her lap and let out a satisfied sigh.

"You feeling ok carrots? Thought you would have demanded Bogo to set up a command post in here so you could work on the case from bed." The fox teased as he scooted his chair closer to Judy's bed.

Judy closed her eyes for a moment and just took a deep breath. She then turned to her partner as she opened her eyes, giving him a loving look with her beautiful purple gaze. "Pick a place and I will pay." The bunny said in a half whisper.

"What?" Nick asked looking confused.

"I just got us a week off work. Pick a place for dinner, my treat," Judy explained as she turned her body to face Nick. "It is the least I can do after all this."

The fox smirked as he eyed his partner up, "I think I know a place you would get a kick out of, but don't think this means I don't want any blueberries!"

Judy smirked at Nick who seemed very proud of his cheesy joke. She didn't say anything as she shook her head and let out a weak chuckle.

"Just keep laughing," Judy thought to herself as she began to lay back in bed, still looking over at her partner, " I know exactly how I am gonna shut you up" Her eyes slowly fell on Nick's lips, she felt her heart skip a beat as familiar images filled her mind. She had every intention of making these thoughts of Nick a reality very soon.

* * *

 **So I have some bad news everyone. I completed chapter 18 and it turned into a very long chapter. I emailed it to a very important person for some editing but it only emailed about 1/4 of the chapter. Upon further investigation we discovered that almost the whole chapter had gone missing. We are currently in the process of retrieving what we can but this could mean a major delay, especially because re writing takes longer than actually writing. I will keep you all posted and will hopefully be able to get everything back, I don't wanna post a shell of a chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Could you accept us?

Time always seems to slow down when you have something to look forward to. This was exactly how Judy felt as the minutes just dragged on and on. However much to her relief she managed to survive the agony of waiting and was finally being released from Sahara Regional

At Dr. Sweet's request Judy had stayed overnight so a team could run a few tests on the wounded bunny and ensure she would be alright to be released early. There was some discomfort and Judy felt like a used pin cushion when it was all over. The examination results indicated that Judy was healing nicely and had no lasting damage. She still had to stay overnight though so they could see how she was sleeping. This had proven to be a little nerve racking at first. Judy had a series of sensors attached to her and Nurse Deb had made a joke about looking forward to seeing what Judy was dreaming about. Judy knew it was a joke but it still made her nervous. The thought of her dreams being on display for everyone was a little nerve racking, even if it wasn't true. In the end it took Judy almost an hour to fall into a deep sleep. Much to the bunnies surprise she woke up the next morning, having not really dreamt of anything that night. This was the first time she had not dreamt of Nick since the series of dreams had started before. 'Maybe it was just a phase?' Her inner voice hinted. Judy hoped not, she may have been confused about the dreams before but now she was sure she had enjoyed them.

The time had finally come though. It had felt like a week but Judy was finally about to be wheeled out of the hospital. She wanted to walk out on her own. She needed to get used to using her own feet again but the hospital had a policy and required Judy to be escorted in a wheel chair. She had decided not to fight it. She had gotten dressed on her own, her uniform had been thrown away after the crash so she was back in her regular farmers outfit. She made a mental note to take one of her days off and use it to go shop for some proper city attire. The only clothes she seemed to own was what she had from the farm, a few workout outfits, and her ZPD uniforms. Not exactly something she would want to wear on a night out with a particular fox.

As Judy was being loaded into a small rabbit sized chair by a strong sheep in scrubs there was a knocking at the open door to her room. She looked up and her eyes filled with Joy. Nick was leaning against the door, still looking pretty banged up, but still handsome as ever. Judy gave him a warm smile as she settled into her wheel chair. Nick had stayed with his partner most of yesterday, only leaving when a nurse from the night shift had shooed him out so Judy could get some rest. She had wanted Nick to stay so badly but knew he needed to rest as well. She had found out from other sources that he had been sleeping on a bench in the waiting area not far from Judy's room.

Nick look well rested and had obviously taken some time to clean himself up. He was back in his regular pawaiian shirt and tie combo, no longer wearing his ZPD jacket. "How's the patient this morning?" he asked as he stepped into the room.

"Ready to get out of here!" Judy said excitedly. She then looked up at the sheep that had just helped her into the wheelchair, "No offense!"

The sheep gave a slight chuckle as he shook his head, "none taken, most mammals are sad to come, happy to leave!"

"So you could say you are," Nick began to say as he lowered his sunglasses over his eyes and gave Judy a thumbs up, "ready to roll?"

"Wow..." The sheep muttered as he looked over at Nick in surprise, unsure what to say to the fox.

Judy put a hand on her forehead as she closed her eyes. "I'm gonna snap those glasses, I swear," she mumbled as she shook her head at her partners antics.

Nick ignored the comments as he slowly lifted the glasses from his face and rested them back on his head, "you're just jealous that I make this look so good!"

"You need to get your head examined," Judy shot back.

"MRI is the 4th floor," the sheep nurse added jokingly. With that the nurse put his hands on the wheelchairs handles and smiled down at his patient, "you all set officer?"

"You have no idea sir!" Judy said as she gave the nurse an excited smile.

With that the three mammals set off out of the room and down the hall. As they passed the nurses station Judy noticed Deb who was currently on the phone while typing away at a computer. Judy gave Deb an excited wave as she beamed at the nurse.

"Hold on Doctor!" Deb said into the phone as she pressed a button on the keypad and put the other mammal on hold. Deb then hopped from her chair and ran around the desk she had been sitting behind. The sheep who was pushing the wheel chair slowed to a stop and waited. Deb ran up to Judy and gave her a gentle hug, "oh Judy I am gonna miss you, we need to get together sometime outside of this hospital! Please call me soon and we can set something up!" Deb exclaimed as she wrote down a cellphone number on a scrap of paper and placed it in Judy's open pan. Judy grinned happily and nodded, "Thanks Deb! For everything!" Though she had just met Deb Judy felt the two had grown close. Most rabbits made friends easily with one another, they we very social mammals after all. It was uncommon for them to create very lasting friendships easily, especially with mammals they had just met. Before Deb returned to her duties she smiled over at Nick, "Take good care of her Nick!" the rabbit nurse said with a suggestive tone as she winked in the fox's direction. Judy blushed as she gave Deb a playful glare. Nick's gave Deb a sly smirk and nodded, "oh don't worry, I intend to!"

Deb grinned as she gave Judy's paw a gentle squeeze and then hopped back to her desk. As Deb returned to her phone call the Judy felt her wheelchair begin to move again down the hall towards a bank of elevators.

The elevator ride and the rest of the trip through the hospital was fairly uneventful. There was the occasional nod from the staff as they proceeded throughout the halls. Finally the three mammals reached the large double doors that led to the outside world. As the doors slid open Judy felt a wave of warm air wash over her. It actually was quiet soothing after being stuck in the cool hospital for what felt like ages. Judy closed her eyes as she breathed in the dry air and let the sun wash over her gray fur. She was more of the warm weather type, her friends said it complimented her personality.

"There is that brave bunny of ours!" Came an excited voice. Judy opened her eyes and looked down at the street parking in front of the hospital. There was a large green unmarked ZPD van parked in the main spot. Standing just in front of the vehicle stood Judy's parents and a very excited looking cheetah in a teal gazelle shirt and a pair of very strained looking sweet pants. Benny was standing just behind Bonnie and Stu and had a large paw on either of the bunny's shoulders. Judy gave a light chuckle as she took in the sight. A few years ago her father would probably be passed out with Bonnie standing over him trying to shake him awake. Now however the two bunnies looked as if this a normal day to them. In fairness Benny had a very friendly personality and put most mammals at ease in just seconds.

"Hey Jude the dude!" Stu shouted as he waved from the side walk. Judy looked up at the sheep that had pushing her around the halls and gave a firm smile, "thank you, I think I can walk from here!"

The sheep smiled and nodded, "of course Officer Hopps, you take care now!" With that Judy slowly stood up from the wheelchair, with a lot of help from Nick, and slowly walked down the steps towards the waiting van. Judy stayed close to Nick who held his arm out as if he were escorting a prom date down a flight of stairs. His steps were slow and calculated, his eyes constantly scanning Judy, making sure she wasn't over doing anything.

The gray bunny took her time as her legs continued to ache with each step, she did note a huge improvement over yesterday however.

"Take it nice and slow dear!" Bonnie exclaimed in a motherly tone as she strode up on the other side of Judy and offered a law to help. Judy looked at her mother and smiled as she shook her head, "I'm ok mom!" Judy said just as she took a misstep. Instead of falling on her face however she felt herself sway as Nick held her up.

"I have her Mrs. Hopps," Nick said as he gave Judy's mother a playful wink as he helped Judy steady herself.

"What a gentlemen!" Benny said jokingly as he stepped over to the van and opened the side doors. "By the way, everyone wishes they could be here to greet you, but you're no good partner told everyone not to bother!" Benny said as he made a playful pouting face.

Judy looked up at Nick with a confused look on her face, "you want everyone at the ZPD to show up, because I am willing to bet the whole ZPD would have shown up! Didn't think you wanted to see everyone just yet. " Nick said with a chuckle. He was right. After all the crash was her fault in the first place and she felt bad enough that Nick had pulled some strings to falsify the reports. Seeing all her friends from work there would probably just feel like a slap in the face. Besides everyone she really needed to see was here for her already. "Thanks Nick," Judy whispered, her tone hinted it wasn't just for his thoughtfulness regarding the private welcome party.

The mammals all piled into the van. Somehow Judy found herself sitting between her parents, she enjoyed being close to them but felt there may be some other motives to all of it. These suspicions were only increased as Nick attempted to climb into the back seat. Bonnie looked over at the Fox and gave him a small smile, "oh Nicholas dear, why don't you sit up front with Benjamin, no point in you sitting alone in the back!" Bonnie said as she looked at the Fox. It sounded more like a demand than a suggestion.

Judy looked over at her mother in surprise. Nick however gave Bonnie a kind smile and nodded, "Alright, you all play nice back here though!" He said as he gave Judy a wink. The fox then closed the doors to the van and hopped in the front seat as Benny jumped into the driver's seat. "Thanks again for playing chauffeur today Benny, between my new fashion accessory and Judy's antenna problems we aren't exactly race car ready."

"Think nothing of it! I am always happy to help out my favorite crime fighting duo!" Benny shot back happily as he started the van, "Besides when I heard Judy's parents were coming to town again I just had to meet them! I can't believe I missed you two last time you were here!"

"Probably because you were too busy fawning over Gazelle!" Nick teased as the van began to merge into the morning traffic of Sahara Square. As the two mammals up front began to joke about the Gazelle concert a while back Judy looked over at her father. Though Stu had been to Zootopia a handful of times before, most recently for the celebration after Judy's first case, he still seemed entranced by the amazing city. The brown rabbit was sitting at the window and staring at the tall sun-bleached buildings of Sahara Square as if they were some kind of lost temple he had just discovered. She smiled as Stu scanned the streets, taking in all the sights of the city.

When Judy looked over at Bonnie however her mood changed. Judy's mother was not looking out at the window at the beautiful sights of the city. Instead she seemed to be staring at the back of Nick's seat. She seemed to be deep in thought and from the expression on her face it wasn't necessarily a something she was happy thinking about. Judy stole a glance at Nick as he began to tell Clawhauser one of his cheesy jokes. Judy wasn't really paying attention at what was being said in the front seat area, she was too focused on her mother. The gray bunny reached out and gently placed her paw on her mother's leg. Bonnie seemed to return to reality and looked over at her daughter, a weak smile on her lips.

"You ok mom?" Judy asked nervously. Knowing full well she didn't really want to hear the truth.

Bonnie seemed to think for a moment as she looked over at Stu, then to Nick, and finally back at Judy. "Just lost in my own thoughts dear, how are you feeling? Do you need more space in your seat? How is your ear?"

"I'm ok, I would be better if you would just..." Judy began to say when a loud chirping noise could be heard from the front seat. Judy looked up at Nick as the fox pulled his cellphone from his pocket. Her mind began to race. Was it the ZPD? Had there been another attack? Was everyone ok?

"Looks like the train back to Bunny Burrow has been delayed by another hour," Nick began to explain. Though Judy had just come round yesterday, her parents had been in Zootopia for almost 5 days. They had offered to stay with Judy until she was completely recovered but she knew how important it was to the family farm for them to return. It was almost time for a major harvest and Judy understood it would be selfish to keep them away from the rest of the family during such an important time. It took some negotiating but Judy managed to convince her parents to return home. They had booked the first set of tickets back to Bunny Burrow and had intended to drop off Bonnie and Stu after Judy was released from the hospital.

"How about some Lunch! My treat!" Nick offered as he looked over his shoulder into the back seats. Normally Judy would have been excited to keep her parents longer and share a nice afternoon lunch with them. However the way her mother had been acting made Judy slightly nervous. Before she could say anything Stu piped in, "Oh now Nick you have been such a great host this whole time! Least Bonnie and I could do is treat the lot of you to lunch! Please!"

"Yes, I agree! Just pick a place and it will be our pleasure!" Bonnie said as she gently placed her paw on Judy's, which was still resting on Bonnie's leg.

"Well in that case we should think of a really ritzy place, eh Benny?" Nick said as he looked over at the Cheetah who squealed with excitement. "What do you say Carrots? Should we take these farmers for all their worth?" The fox asked as he looked back at Judy.

Nick had always had an amazing poker face. He could probably tell someone the sky was actually bright yellow and they would believe them just from the look he could give. It was probably one of the reasons he did so well in all his hassles. Judy however had trouble hiding her feelings. If her expression didn't give anything away then her ears normally would. She was the type of mammal that just put it all out in the open. When she tried to hide things from others, well, she would end up covered in hot chocolate. The expression on Judy's face told Nick that something was troubling her, a lot. He however kept his cool and gave her a sly wink followed by a heartwarming smile. Maybe it was the fact that they had been partners for so long, or the fact they were close friends, or maybe it was something that couldn't be explained. All that mattered though was Judy knew this was Nick giving her a signal. He knew something was wrong, he wanted to fix it, but knew it would have to wait. Judy looked deep into his emerald eyes and let out a sigh. 'Surprised it took this long for the dreams to start showing up' her inner voice teased.

"Sounds good and maybe we can have some pawciscles for desert!" Judy said as she winked back at her partner. Nick and Judy shared a laugh as the other mammals looked around in confusion. Much of Nick's past still remained a mystery to both Judy's family and the team at the ZPD. The duo thought it would be best to just let the past remain between them.

It didn't take long for the van to pass through the rest of Sahara Square and finally enter the central district of Zootopia. The city center was one of the busiest parts of Zootopia. It was the home of the ZPD headquarters, city hall, and the main transportation network. It also served as one of the major entertainment hubs which created the need for many restaurants and bars.

"Why don't you choose a place Benny?" Judy suggested, realizing as the words left her mouth how insulting it may have sounded.

"Why, because I am the fat cheetah who must know every restaurant in the city?" Benny shot back, trying to sound serious, a wide grin snuck onto his face however.

"Yes, I believe that is exactly the reason," Nick said casually as he looked over at Benny, "That and you know, you are so picky in the first place!"

The cheetah giggled, "I know, I totally am!"

It only took a few minutes for Benny to find a place that he thought everyone would enjoy. When Zootopia was first founded there was still a great deal of separation between preds and prey. Restaurants were a perfect example. This was not because of any prejudice however, it was a matter of what was on the menu. Most places accepted any kind of patron but still only served one kind of food. Soon however the owners of the restaurants caught on and began to serve different dishes that would be appeasing to all members of the animal kingdom. Some even tried to spice things up for adventurous mammals and made dishes mixed with both pred and prey food. It would allow one group to taste what the other was into, without fear of food poisoning or foul taste. The Sunlight Garden was one such place.

The cafe was a sleek two story building with large windows. There was plenty outdoor seating underneath umbrellas that were made of solar panels. The whole idea behind the small café was everything was made through natural sunlight. The power was provided by the sun, the plants on the garden rooftop absorbed the rays, and even the beetle farm behind the building was designed to be heated by the giant orb in the sky.

"They have the best protein cakes Nick! It is soooo good!" Benny explained as he parked the van in front of the café. "Plus I heard their salads are so refreshing, it tastes like you are eating it right off the farm because they…grow…everything...themselves..." Benny trailed off as he looked in the backseat and realized who was talking to. "I just realized that probably like every meal back home" He said with a weak apologetic smile.

"Gonna have to see what kind of soil they are using. Can't possibly be able to grow their full stock just from the rooftop, unless they cross bred…or maybe an increase in fertilizer..." Stu began to trail off as he studied the building, his interest obviously more on the growing side than the eating.

"This looks wonderful dear!" Bonnie exclaimed as she shook her head at her husband, "And don't mind him, his mind is always in the dirt!"

Benny squealed happily as it became clear the Hopps family would enjoy his choice in dining. Nick hopped out of the passenger seat and opened the side door to the van as he helped the bunny's exit the rear seats. Benny joined Stu and explained how he knew the owner and would try to see if a quick tour could be arranged, Stu's ears perked up at the offer and he happily nodded. Bonnie stuck close to Judy and looped an arm in Judy's and helped her daughter walk towards the front entrance. Nick casually strolled on the other side of Judy and took in a deep breath. Judy glanced up at her partner who in turn looked over at Bonnie who was focused on the café ahead. When Nick looked back at Judy he raised an eyebrow in concern. Judy understood and nodded, signaling that something was off and it had to do with her mother.

"All right then," Nick let out in the faintest of whispers.

"Did you say something dear?" Bonnie asked as she looked over at Nick and gave him a concerned smile.

"Hmm, oh no, just thinking out loud!" Nick said as he returned a smile back to Bonnie. Nick looked over at the café and Judy could see his mind at work, calculating his next move. "Say, how about you ladies wait outside on that cozy looking bench while we go in and see about getting us a table, looks a little crowded right now!" Nick suggested as he nodded over at a wooden bench just outside the doors to the café. It was roughly lunch time and the café was bustling with customers and staff so it wouldn't be too strange if they had to wait to be seated.

"Good idea Nick, I could use some fresh air!" Judy replied gratefully as she began to lead her mother towards the bench. "Dad why don't you and Benny head inside and see if you can get a tour of the garden!"

Stu grinned at the suggestion and nodded as he signaled for Benny to lead the way inside. The large cheetah happily obliged and practically bounded into the café, a series of happy greetings could be heard from the inside. Bonnie held onto Judy's arm and helped her still sore looking daughter onto the bench gently. Nick put a hand on Judy's shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze. The gesture gave the little bunny strength and she could feel herself sit up a little straighter. "I'll go see about getting us a table, you two just enjoy the sunshine," Nick said as he strolled inside. In a city of millions of mammals Judy found it odd just how alone she felt as she sat with her mother outside of the busy Café.

"So what's going on?" Judy asked firmly as she turned to look at her mother. She felt nervous and knew this was probably gonna be an unpleasant conversation but it had to be done.

"What do you mean dear?" Bonnie asked as she tilted her head slightly, looking confused.

"Don't try that mom, it won't work, what is going on? Ever since yesterday you have been acting odd! The looks you have been giving Nick…" Judy began to explain.

"The looks I have been giving? What about you young lady?" Bonnie shot back, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Judy had to think for a moment, she didn't really feel like getting into a shouting match with her mother in public. She wanted to be political about this and knew she had to tread carefully. When she couldn't think of any other route she decided to just come out and say it, "I look at Nick that way because I have feelings for him mom!" Judy began to explain as she reached out and took her mother's paws into her own. "Before you say it's just feelings for a friend or a partner I want you to know it's not. I have been developing feelings for him in a way I haven't felt in a long time! I'm nervous but excited about this!"

Bonnie looked into Judy's eyes and could tell something had changed about her daughter. "Sweetie, you know I just want what's best for you!"

"He is mom, he is what's best for me!"

"Sweetie this is probably just a phase! We all have these moments in our life! Before I met your father I was interested in a handsome deer in the farm next to my parents!" Bonnie began to explain, "But in time I grew out of those feelings!"

"Wait, Mr. Camp?" Judy asked with a bemused look.

"Focus sweetie! I am trying to be serious!" Bonnie shot back as she rolled her eyes.

"This isn't a phase mom, this is just something that has happened," Judy muttered as she returned to the topic that had been bugging her mother. "He has done so much for me and has made my life here so wonderful! I used to love working for the ZPD. Nick has made me love it even more!"

"Sweetie, I don't want to sound too old fashioned or prejudice, but he is a fox. We all have friends who are foxes! I mean look at Gideon Grey! He is out business partner!" Bonnie said sweetly, she reached out and gently placed a paw on Judy's cheek, "But what you are suggesting is something completely different"

"I like different," Judy whispered, she could feel tears beginning to form in her purple eyes. "I think I love different..."

Bonnie looked somewhat surprised at the last part, "Judy, take it slow now, I know you like moving quickly. What your suggesting is already a little crazy, don't get too carried away!"

"Mom, you don't understand what he means to me, what he has done for me!" Judy began to plead. She didn't know why but her mother's calmness made her uneasy, as if Bonnie knew something that Judy didn't.

"I am sure he has done a lot, but..." Bonnie began but was interrupted.

"I caused the car crash!" Judy blurted out.

This caused a silence to form between the two bunnies. Bonnie looked even more surprised at this point. The older bunny's mouth was ajar in shock.

Judy explained the details of what had happened. Explaining the case, the speeding through the tunnel, and the eventual crash. She did however neglect to mention any of the dreams she had been having for Nick, she didn't want to give her own mother a heart attack.

"Nick and I were almost killed because of me mom. I was being neglectful. I wasn't focused. I crashed the car." Judy said as her ears drooped, she couldn't look at her mother anymore, the memories were still too painful. She let out a small sniffle as she looked at the ground.

Bonnie reached over and placed both her paws on Judy's cheeks as she raised her daughter's head up so she could look into Judy's glazed purple eyes. As tears rolled freely down Judy's cheeks she looked at her mother and realized that Bonnies expression had changed. Her mother was looking lovingly at Judy, no longer annoyed, confused, or even angry. "That fox…" Bonnie whispered as she shook her head. "The way he acted while you were unconscious. You would have thought his whole world was crashing down. He never left, Stu and I tried to make him go home but he waited…" Bonnie gently pulled Judy into a warm hug and slowly ran a hand down Judy's good ear. "He forgave you that quickly? After all of that?"

Judy just nodded as she began to cry, "He did…I still don't deserve his forgiveness! But as soon as I woke up he gave it to me! I could have gotten us..."

"Oh dear, it's alright" Bonnie said as she squeezed Judy closer. "I guess I should be sorry…"

"It's ok mom," Judy said as she tried her best to regain her composure.

Bonnie let out a long sigh as she pulled away from her daughter and wiped a tear from her own cheek. "Maybe I am just being a little too old fashioned..." She began to explain. Judy felt hopeful as she rubbed her eyes. "But It is still something I will have to get used to I guess..."

"Thanks mom, that's all I ask, just give it a chance..." Judy muttered as she smiled at her mother.

"That fox…"Bonnie said as she looked at the sidewalk and shook her head. Judy could tell the whole situation was still bugging her mother, this would take a great deal of time to get used to apparently. However the worst was over for now, Bonnie knew about Judy's feelings for Nick and that's all that mattered. The big concern now was how to break it slowly to her father. That would probably be a far harder battle, one she was now beginning to dread.

When Nick returned to collect the bunnies Judy and Bonnie were still sitting, just enjoying one another's company. "We managed to get a table outside ladies," Nick explained. Bonnie quickly hopped off the bench and turned to Nick. Before anyone could say anything the small gray bunny strode over to Nick and wrapped her arms around his waist. Nick looked surprised as he looked down at Bonnie and then over at Judy who looked equally shocked. Bonnie then reached up and pulled Nick down to her eye level. She smiled at the confused looking fox and then gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, "Thank you Nicholas, for everything." She said kindly as she patted him on the cheek.

"No problem Ma'am," Nick said nervously as he looked back at Bonnie. Judy understood the gesture was Bonnie's way of not only thanking Nick but also showing a willingness to understand what Nick and Judy had together. Judy was beaming at this point as Bonnie turned around and helped her daughter off the bench. The three slowly strode into the café to enjoy what looked like a far less awkward lunch.

Everyone enjoyed lunch and Benny was given a great deal of thanks for the suggestion. The cheetah tried his best to pay for the bill, feeling he had eaten far too much to make anyone else pay, Stu however wouldn't allow it and practically wrestled the check, out of the cheetah's hands. The sight was almost too much for Judy who was laughing so hard she needed to look away.

The group eventually found themselves at Zootopia's central train station which would take Judy's parents back to the farmlands of Bunny Burrow. Judy was feeling a little sad to see her parents head home. Even though she had been living in Zootopia for quite some time now, she still got home sick occasionally. Nick told her that it was perfectly alright and only natural to get like that, this always seemed to help remind her why she chose to stay in the city.

"I will be sure to send you that recipe for the cookies you enjoyed so much dear!" Bonnie said as she was scooped up into a warm hug by Clawhauser. Benny was already getting teary eyed, Nick couldn't help but make a few jokes about how Benny may be part Bunny with all the emotions he displayed so easily. "Thank you so much Bon Bon! Safe travels!" The cheetah said as he nuzzled his flabby cheeks against Bonnie.

"You be sure to take it easy now son, I need you in peak physical condition if you are gonna be watching my daughters back!" Stu ordered Nick playfully as he shook the fox's hand.

"Of course sir, but to be honest its carrots that's normally keeping us out of trouble," Nick said playfully as he looked over at Judy, who grinned.

Bonnie and Stu then walked over to their daughter and gave her a big family hug. The bunny felt warm in-between her parents and closed her eyes happily as she squeezed them close to her. "I will miss you guys, I promise to visit soon!" She said almost tearfully, she hated good byes.

"Oh gosh, don't you start!" Stu said as he began to shake, the water show already beginning to start.

"Oh Stu, come on now, we will see her soon!" Bonnie said as she pulled her husband off of Judy and began to wipe the tears from her husband's eyes lovingly.

"I know Bon, I know, she's just…she's just so brave!" Stu said as more tears began to form.

Judy just smirked as she shook her head and pulled her parents into another warm hug.

It was finally time for Stu and Bonnie to leave. The two bunnies said their final good byes and began to head into the station. Before they were gone however Stu turned around with a happy smirk on his face, "Almost forgot! You two have fun on your date! Don't get too…..Wilde!" The brown bunny said, he had obviously been waiting to use that dad joke for a while.

Judy felt like her jaw would hit the floor as she looked at her father in pure shock. She glanced over at Nick who had an equally surprised look on his face. Bonnie stopped mid step as she looked at her husband nervously. "Stu?" She asked as she looked from her husband and then to Nick and Judy.

"What? Was that a surprise?" Stu asked as he looked around worryingly," Oh geeze Bon? Did you not know? I am so sorry dear!" Stu said as he reached out and put his arms on Bonnie's shoulders, "Nick and Judy…well they…they are gonna be going on a date" He began to explain as if he was about to give someone 'The talk'.

"I know, I know dear, I just didn't know that you knew!" Bonnie said as she looked at her husband in mild surprise.

"Oh yeah, Benjamin told me!" Stu said as he nodded over at the smiling cheetah.

Nick and Judy both turned to glare at the innocent looking cheetah who gave them a clueless smile, "What?" Benny asked sheepishly as he realized the pair's eyes were on him.

"And you are…ok with it?" Bonnie asked nervously, trying her best not to sound insulting.

"Bon…do we have a choice? Its Judy were talking about!" Stu explained as he threw an arm in Judy's direction, "The last time we fought her she became the top cop in her class and saved a city…the way I see it there is no settling for her. She gets something in her mind and she just goes for it. Kinda like you sweetie!"

Judy could barely believe the words she was hearing that came from her father. This was completely unlike him. She wouldn't have been surprised if he had scooped Judy up and taken her away to the farm to keep her from Nick when he found out. Instead he was standing in front of everyone explaining why the two should be left to do what they want.

"What that girl wants, that girl gets,"Stu said as he smiled over at his daughter lovingly. Judy chose that moment to quickly limp over to her father and jump into his arms as she gave him a tight hug. "Woah take it easy Jude the dude! You still got a lot of recovery ahead!" Stu said as he lifted his daughter up and hugged her close.

Bonnie joined the hug and just sighed contently, "Oh Stu, you are just full of surprises…guess that's where Judy gets it," She whispered happily.

Judy finally pulled away from her families hug and smiled as she looked at her parents. Nothing could make this moment better.

"Wilde Time…" Came an amused voice from behind Judy. She turned to see Nick and Benny standing next to each other, both of them shaking with laughter they were trying to keep in, "You gonna have a Wilde time?" Benny asked Nick jokingly. Nick snickered as he looked at Benny, "Only if we Hopp to it." He muttered as the two began to lose all control and burst out laughing.

The two preds looked over at the bunnies and suddenly stood up straighter and tried to put on a serious face. Judy had an unamused look on her face as she shook her head. "Sorry guys, they are kind of idiots..."She began to explain as she looked back at her parents. Bonnie just had a look of understanding on her face as she shook her head. Stu however was obviously holding in a laugh as a wide grin spread across his face, "Hopp to it." He whispered as his shoulders began to shake.

'Great, Dad and Nick are bonding through dad jokes.' Her inner chimed in. 'Wonder how many of those are gonna come out on the big date?'

* * *

 **Good news everyone! The chapter was saved and I didnt lose it all!**

 **More good news: The date is finally happening! Super excited to begin working on it!**

 **Thanks again for all the reviews and support, it makes writing these chapters alot more fun!**


	19. Chapter 19: The Date

Chapter 19: The date.

Judy was scrambling around her little apartment which looked like a scene out of a disaster movie. Clothes and bags were thrown all over the room as she hobbled around, grabbing different outfits and then looking at herself in the mirror. She would inspect herself carefully, shake her head, and then toss the rejected outfit to the side as she began the process all over again.

It had been two days since she had be released from the hospital. She had been spending her time recovering from the crash and relaxing. Which was a lot more difficult than it sounded. Fortunately she no longer had her ear in a wrap and most of her cuts had begun to heal up.

After seeing her parents off at the train station she had asked Nick if he wanted to spend some time out and about. Much to her displeasure the fox had declined the offer and said he needed to rest, he had apparently been running on fumes and had worn himself out. Judy had been hoping to go on their date right away, which was very obvious to Nick. He had told her that he needed a little time but would be more than happy to go for some drinks in a day or two.

That morning she had received a text from her partner. It was the message she had been waiting for patiently, or least trying to.

"So Whatcha doing tonight?" Nick texted her.

"Going out with my awesome fox for drinks? xD"

"Yes, yes you are"

This had caused Judy to cheer with excitement. She was just glad her neighbors weren't in. The last thing she was in the mood for was another shut up match.

Judy had spent the day running errands, mainly trying to find an outfit that wasn't ZPD, farm hand, or work out related. She had finally made it home and decided to throw an impromptu fashion show for herself. Even though she had liked the outfits at the store they just didn't seem to fit with what she was going for. She then had to think about exactly what she was trying to go for. This date was turning out to be a lot more than just drinks with a friend. If this had been with anyone else she probably would have had no trouble getting ready. However this was a date with Nick and there was a lot to consider. Should she show off some fur? What about her ears, should she try to wear them a certain way? Oh my gosh make up! What style? What color?

There was a battle going on in Judy's mind as she sat down on her bed and tried to think things through one step at a time. The bunny was rescued from an impending panic attack however when her phone buzzed. She felt her heart rate increase when she noticed the message was from Nick.

"So about drinks tonight, there are some things you need to bring!"

This seemed a bit odd to Judy but she decided not to over think it. "Really? Like what?"

"Do you have a blue ZPD shirt, not the uniform, like the one we got at the most recent team building event at the bowling alley?" The fox's message read.

"Yeah, the one where you got all gutter balls?" Judy said, giggling at the memory of the frustrated looking fox throwing the large bowling ball down the lane, only for it to slide into the gutter at every attempt.

"Says the girl who scored a 6" Judy could practically hear the snarky tone in the message.

"Still scored ;)" Judy responded. "Play your cards right and you just might too" Judy mumbled to herself. She took a moment to giggle at her own joke, or maybe it was more of an idea.

"Anyways, wear that and whatever is comfortable. Also don't forget to bring your badge, very important you have that." The message confused Judy slightly but she just shrugged.

"Ok Mr. Ranger Scout, anything else? Maybe a sleeping bag and some rations?"

"I'm not that easy Carrots" Judy had to admit she did kind of set herself up on the last response. "Just be ready around 7, cya soon"

The sun was already starting to set outside of Judy's window when she heard a faint knocking at her apartment door. Judy hopped from her desk chair and closed her laptop. As she passed a standing mirror on her wall she gave herself a quick check. As instructed she was wearing a navy blue ZPD shirt which hugged to her fur, showing off her slender frame. She had decided to go with a pair of sun-bleached jeans. She let out a sigh as she realized after all her shopping she had just gone with what she had been trying to avoid. She took in a deep breath and mentally prepared herself.

When she reached her apartment door she froze for a second and straightened herself up, wanting to look as pretty as possible for her date. "Ok, you can do this, just remind him how awesome you are"

Judy took one last breath and then swung the door open.

There in the doorway stood her partner. Just like Judy he was in a ZPD blue t shirt and a pair of black pants. He didn't have as many bandages on as before but his arm was still in a cast. Maybe it was just the situation or maybe something was in the air but when he smiled at Judy she felt her legs grow weak.

'We are about to go on our date!' Her inner voice squealed.

Judy however found herself lost for words as she just looked at her partner with excitement.

"You ready Carrots?" Nick asked as he held out his good arm.

"CARROTS? WHAT KIND OF NICKNAME IS THAT?" Came a muffled shouting from next-door.

SHUT UP, IT'S A SWEET NAME, SHES A RABBIT AFTER ALL!"

"SOUNDS KINDA RUDE TO ME!"

"Yes, yes I am," Judy said as she ignored the muffled shouts from her neighbors. Nick took a second as he was staring down the hall in mild surprise, when he turned back to Judy he smiled and held out his good arm.

Judy let out an amused smile, "What a gentleman," She said as she closed her apartment door behind her and then looped one of her arms through his.

When they exited the apartment building Judy noticed a yellow cab sitting next to the side walk. The driver, an armadillo, was standing beside his cab with his arms crossed. When he noticed Judy and Nick exit the building he gave them a polite nod and opened the rear door so the couple could enter.

When the fox and bunny were inside the driver closed the door and walked around the rear of the cab. As he passed Judy's door her sharp ears picked up him mumbling, "He wasn't kidding, she's a rabbit, well now I have seen everything."

The driver slid into his seat and put the taxi into drive, "Same address sir?" He asked as he looked over his shoulder at Nick.

"Yes sir," Nick said with a nod as he looked down at Judy.

Judy looked from the driver and then to Nick, "So where are we going?"

Nick didn't say a word and just gave the bunny a sly grin. He obviously wasn't planning on telling her.

"Hate you…" Judy muttered playfully as she scooted closer to Nick and gave him a playful slap on the shoulder.

The sun had completely set at this point and the city was starting to come to life in a different form. All the buildings were illuminated in a series of vibrant colors which made it even more beautiful. As Judy looked out the windows she saw all sorts of mammals strolling the sidewalks. Some on their way to work, others to meet friends, maybe even a few going on a date like her. The last thought made her shake with excitement. 'We are on a date!' She thought happily as she looked up at Nick. The fox was looking out the window at the passing scenery and seemed lost in his own thoughts.

The taxi weaved easily through the early evening traffic as it led them towards the perimeter of city center. Even though they weren't in the main part of the district it was still bustling with mammals and Judy watched as they passed a series of restaurants.

"Coming up," The armadillo finally said as they approached a block of buildings. Judy looked around but couldn't see any kind of restaurant, Movie Theater, not even a café. There was a handful of neon signs around but none indicating a place she would have thought of going on a first date with Nick. What was he planning?

The taxi pulled up to the address Nick had handed the driver. The armadillo in the front seat turned to the two in the back, "here you are!" He declared as he smiled at the couple. He then looked over at Judy with curiously, his eyes scanning her ZPD shirt. "I am sorry ma'am if this is out of line, but are you the bunny that works at the ZPD? Judy?"

Judy smiled warmly and nodded, "yes sir I am!"

Nick was shaking his head as he reached for his wallet "can't take you anywhere can I carrots!" He teased as he began to pull out a card.

The armadillo quickly waved his hand and shook his head, "oh no officers, it's on the house this time!" He explained as he gave them both an appreciative smile, "one of my old buddies was one of the missing mammals, least I could do to say thanks is give ya a free ride!"

"Oh sir that's too kind of you, but it's a policy not to," Judy began to object. She didn't have a chance to finish however as Nick grabbed her paw and pulled her from the taxi quickly.

"Thanks pal!" Nick shouted at the driver thankfully. The armadillo waved from the driver seat and then pulled out into the street.

"Nick you know we can't do that kind of stuff!" Judy began to protest as she was dragged down the side walk. The ZPD had strict policies about accepting gifts or free services. The concern was that it could lead to complications down the line.

Nick just smiled at Judy and raised his left arm which was still wrapped in a cast. Judy shut her mouth and pouted, "How long are you gonna use that as an excuse?" She asked in an annoyed tone.

Nick just chuckled, "At least another 48 hours!" He teased as he gave her paw a gentle squeeze. Nick lead Judy up towards a large set of doors with a large neon sign just above. The sign was just a series of numbers that read "10-7". At first Judy thought it might be an address but dismissed the thought as the street numbers wouldn't have added up, and there was a " – " in-between.

The place didn't really look like much on the outside. Judy was slightly apprehensive about all this. She had thought that their first date might have been at a nice restaurant and that she would have been wearing something nice, not just jeans and a shirt. However she reminded herself that she trusted Nick, whatever he had planned would surely be interesting.

Sitting in front of the doors was an intimidating looking rhino who was half standing half leaning against a large wooden stool. Judy guessed that the rhino was some kind of bouncer just from his apparel. The large mammal was wearing black cargo pants and a black shirt that had the same odd numbers on it as the sign above the door. The rhino was scanning the somewhat busy street with a bit of a scowl, his expression changed however when he caught sight of Nick and Judy.

"Nick! What the hell happened to you? You look like you just went to war!" The Rhino said as he stood up and greeted the fox.

"Hey Petey! Nah, I just went for an impromptu snowboarding class, the instructor could have been better, she really put me through the ringer!" Nick teased as he released Judy's paw and fist bumped the rhino's massive outstretched hoof. "This is my partner by the way, finally managed to drag her out to check out the bar!" Nick explained as he motioned over at Judy who took a few steps closer. She made a mental note to punch Nick in the side for the snowboarding joke later.

"Hi! How are you doing Petey?" Judy said as she followed Nick's lead and gave the rhino a friendly fist bump.

"Doing just fine ma'am, first time to the 10-7?" Petey asked as he looked over at Nick with an impressed look.

"Yes it is Petey, why don't you give her the first time treatment!" Nick suggested as he took a step back and gave Judy a playful wink.

Judy felt slightly nervous and began to realize just how much larger the rhino was than her as he towered over the small bunny.

"Badge!" Petey said firmly as he held out his hoof.

Judy reached into her pocket nervously. Normally she would be more than happy to bust out her shield, but this just seemed odd to her. She produced her golden badge which had obviously been well taken care of. She looked over at Nick who gave her an encouraging nod. Judy then placed the badge in the rhino's outstretched hoof.

The bouncer lifted the badge up and inspected it closely, "Alright officer Hopps, you are officially 10-7 and around others who are as well! No picking fights with the firefighters and don't expect the paramedics to help you with your hang over, they are probably gonna be too busy nursing their own." The bouncer began to say as he handed the badge back to the surprised looking rabbit. Judy realized what the numbers meant when spoken like that. 10-7 was 10 code for out of service. This bar was obviously meant for members of law enforcement and fire rescue. "You enjoy yourself and remember you are off duty, there is no talking about cases, patients, or city hall, complaining about them though is ok and encouraged!"

With that the rhino opened the large door and stepped aside. Judy took a few steps towards the now open threshold and her eyes lit up with excitement. She looked back at Nick who took a few steps towards her and put a paw on her shoulder and slowly led her inside.

Though the outside of the bar didn't look like much the inside was truly a spectacle. The ceiling had several flags hanging down, each one from a different department from around Zootopia. Judy saw a few fire department banners along the wall, a handful of red crosses with different sayings underneath, and of course in the center was a navy blue flag with the ZPD shield in the center. The words "Protect and serve" written in white. The walls were all covered in different pictures, some in black and white, and others in vibrant colors. Judy could see that a lot of the pictures had images of officers in front of old squad cars or fire fighters all geared up with bright red trucks behind them. There was even a few amazing pictures of the paramedic air rescue teams, a few brave medics stood in front of a massive airship in one of the larger pictures, it was obviously back in Zootopia's earlier days.

Judy felt like she was in a candy store. She had wanted to be a cop her whole life and had collected similar memorabilia through the years. Her collection though was a mere fraction of the pictures and artifacts that decorated the walls of the large bar. The little bunny was spellbound as she gazed around the large room, trying to take it all in. Nick continued to lead his excited partner through the bar, weaving in between tables and groups of mammals. Occasionally someone would shout over at Nick and give him a friendly greeting. The fox would smile and give them a friendly nod, his paw never left Judy's shoulder however. Nick wasn't the only one getting attention however, every once and a while a group of mammals would notice Judy and raise a glass towards her, welcoming her to the bar. A group of tipsy fire fighters who were all wearing blue T shirts with a large "16" on the back all stopped their drunken hijinks when they noticed Judy and Nick. "Wilde! It's about damn time you brought your partner!" A zebra shouted as he looked in the couple's direction.

"Yeah, and don't even think about trying to steal her, she bleeds ZPD blue!" Nick shouted back playfully.

"Ah come on Wilde! ZPD has had her long enough, I think she would make a great rescue!" An elephant in the back of the group said in a slurred tone. "This bunny right here, she is at the ZPD for like 3 days and solves the biggest case in Zootopia history!" The elephant began to explain to the rest of the group.

"Hey darling, ever been to a firehouse, I got a pole you could slide down!" Came a drunken cat call.

Before Nick could say anything however Judy gave the group a firm look, "What? We calling toothpicks poles now?" She said with a sly wink, "Don't you boys have a campfire to put out?"

The comment was met by a roar of laughter from the group. "She got you good Steve!" A few of the fire fighters shouted as they began to shove one another. "I think I'm in love!" Came another voice in the group.

Nick just chuckled as he continued to lead his victorious partner away, "If all the girls at the ZPD are like that I may have to switch careers!" Came one last final jab as the large group of mammals returned to their drinks.

Zootopia depended on the brave mammals of the different departments to protect and serve. Without them the city would come crashing down. To the outside world a lot of mammals thought that the different branches would not get along and would be jealous of one another when they heard comments like the ones just exchanged. Everyone on the inside though knew how to take a joke. They all had to deal with the worst days together and a simple motto kept them all focused on helping one another. "Different uniforms, same team!" This of course didn't stop them of making fun of one another every chance they got.

"Nice one carrots, thought the sharks were gonna get you there," Nick said proudly as the couple approached a table that would be the right height for the couple. Many bars in Zootopia did their best to ensure that all different sized mammals could be accommodated. The 10-7 bar had obviously done its homework. There were different tables, chairs, and even some couches set at varying heights so everyone could enjoy themselves.

"Oh don't worry, Bunnies learned how to deal with sharks a long time ago, they are our natural enemies after all." Judy teased as she hopped up into her cushioned seat, Nick taking the chair just across from her. "That's why you don't see any sharks in Bunny Burrow."

"Really now? Well I learn something new every day!" Nick said sarcastically as the pair began to chuckle. "Bogo was right, I am rubbing off on you!"

Nick's words made Judy's heart skip a bit and she gave him the warmest of smiles as she gazed across the table. "So tell me Nick, how come I have never been brought here till now? This place is amazing!"

Nick gave Judy an apologetic smile, "Didn't think it would be your kind of thing Carrots, plus I only found out about the place a few weeks ago!"

"Only known about it a little while and already everyone seems to know you!" Judy said as she tilted her head in surprise, "That's either a compliment to being a friendly guy..." Judy began to say as Nick nodded at the compliment, "Or a sign of alcoholism" She finished with a sly grin. Nick rolled his eyes, "Oh gosh I have created a monster..." The fox muttered as he shook his head.

"NICK!" Came an excited female voice from behind Judy. "Oh speaking of monsters" Nick said playfully. There was a sudden commotion just behind Judy which made her nervous to turn around. In her mind some kind of large demon was about to come crashing down on them and attack. Much to Judy's surprise a small brown bunny shot past her and hopped up on Nick's chair and gave the fox a quick hug. The fox winced at what have been a bone crushing squeeze, "Hey Trisha." Nick said nervously as he patted the brown bunny on her head and looked over at Judy with a weak grin.

"Nick I haven't seen you in ages and then the boys from rescue said you had been in a car crash and I got so worried for you and your partner Ju…." The bunny stopped mid-sentence which was impressive given how fast she had been speaking. Judy realized that the brown bunny's bright blue eyes were open and staring directly at Judy. "Oh my gosh!" The bunny exclaimed as she looked Judy up and down, a sudden look of excitement crossing the bunnies face.

Judy took a moment to take in the brown bunny across from her. Trisha's fur was a dark brown and had a series of black lines across the top of her ears. The bunny was wearing a white t-shirt with the words 10-7 in bright red across her chest. A series of what looked like flames were drawn on her sleeves. Judy wondered if she was part of fire rescue. She also wondered why the bitch's arms were still around Nick like that.

"It's you!" Trisha blurted out as she let Nick go and actually climbed up on the table towards Judy. "Nick you finally brought her! I can't believe it! I have been wanting to meet you for ages now!" Trisha exclaimed as she leaned closer to Judy, her little nose twitching. Judy let out a nervous giggle as she began to understand that this new mammal wasn't a threat, at least she hoped not.

"Judy meet Trisha, probably your biggest fan," Nick explained as he leaned over to the side so Judy could see him. Trisha was taking up a great deal of Judy's view, not that it was much of a problem, the brown bunny had a natural beauty about her and Judy bet she probably got a lot of looks thanks to that slender body.

"Nice to meet you Trisha," Judy said as she began to feel more at ease.

Trisha beamed as she sat cross legged in front of Judy, she seemed to be shaking in excitement and Judy realized one of the brown bunny's legs was twitching. This would happen to some bunnies when they were impatient, nervous, or maybe just met someone they really liked. Judging from Trisha's excited look Judy guessed the twitch was due to excitement.

"It is so nice to meet you Judy! I know all about you!" Trisha explained excitedly.

"Stalker!" Nick shouted from behind Trisha. Without looking up the brown bunny grabbed a coaster and tossed it behind her, the small piece of cardboard landing right on Nick's head. Judy instantly took a liking to Trisha after that.

"I have been asking your big dumb partner to bring you in for ages!" Trisha said as she scooted closer towards Judy.

"Well I am glad he finally decided to bring me here, this place is amazing!" Judy said as she looked around the large open room once more at all the wonderful pictures and items on the walls.

"It sure is..."Trisha said as she gazed at the gray bunny in front of her. Judy felt the warm look from Trisha and blushed slightly.

Trisha's eyes went wide as a sudden realization came over her. The brown bunny shook her head as she hopped off the table, "I am so sorry, where are my manners! What can I get for my favorite officer and her partner?"

Judy then realized that Trisha was not with rescue, she was with the bar team. "Hey! Thought I was your favorite!" Nick shot out, pretending to be insulted.

"I just said that so you would bring me Judy!" Trisha said as she stuck out her tongue at the fox, she then turned to Judy and gave her a wink.

"What do you have that is sweet?" Judy asked as she tried to think of something she may like. She realized this may be one of the first drinks she had gotten in quite some time. She didn't normally go out to bars and didn't really have a stand by drink she could turn too.

"Something sweet? Really carrots?" Nick began to tease.

"Guess she needs something sweet to deal with your saltiness all day!" Trisha shot at the fox.

Judy just chuckled as Nick looked down at the waitress with an annoyed look.

"I got an idea of something you may like, willing to be surprised?" Trisha asked with a bit of seduction laced in her words. Judy began to wonder if she would get a drink or something else from this new admirer of hers.

"I am always up for surprises," Judy said, her eyes wide with excitement, "Try everything right?"

Trisha pulled out a small carrot pen and clicked the button on the side as she turned to look at Nick. Judy smiled when she noticed the pen was the same kind she used for work, great minds think alike.

"The usual!" Nick said as he noticed the carrot pen and shook his head in disbelief.

"You have a usual? Not as good sign Nick..." Judy said as she gave him a sly grin.

"AA is for quitters!" Nick shot back.

"Wish you would quit with the jokes sometimes Nick" Trisha said as she began to write the orders down on a pad of paper.

"How is this happening? I am the regular! Why am I being ganged up on?" Nick said desperately as he raised his casted arm, "I am wounded!"

"Aww poor baby!" Judy teased.

"Want your drink in a baby bottle?" Trisha joined in.

Nick looked at the two bunnies in front of him in mock annoyance.

"You know you love me," Judy said as she placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her paws, batting her eye lashes at the Fox.

"Do I know that?" Nick began to ask, playing along with their trademark phrase of affection. The fox didn't get the chance to finish though.

"You would be an idiot not to!" Trisha mumbled playfully as she gave Judy a sweet smile.

Judy looked over at Trisha and gave her a sweet smile, "Awww, thanks Trisha!"

"No problem cutie, I'll be back in a few minutes with some drinks and a few more jokes at Nick's expense!" With that Trisha hopped away from the table and towards the bar.

"She has been wanting to meet you ever since she found out we were partners," Nick began to explain, "Think she's quite the little crush on you."

"Well I am pretty awesome," Judy reminded Nick as she gave him a wink.

"Your driving could use some improvement." The Fox shot back playfully.

"Come over here and say that, bet we can get you a matching cast!" She responded quickly, she knew that Nick understood she was very sorry for everything that had transpired in the past few days, but she decided that maybe he needed a little jab to be put back in place.

Nick chuckled at the comment and shook his head, "You bunnies, always picking on us poor foxes."

It didn't take long for Trisha to return with the couples drinks. Nick's usual turned out to be a house specialty beer. It was dark and Judy guessed it tasted bitter. Much to her surprise her drink was a bright blue and had sugar on top of the rim. "Thought you would like something Blue!" Trisha said happily as she gazed at Judy with her own bright blue eyes.

"Oh I love that color!" Judy exclaimed as she looked at the drink and then at the bunny who had brought it, "Especially you're blue!" Judy said with a smile.

Trisha blushed at the compliment, "Well feel free to stare into my eyes any time darling, I'll leave you two to enjoy, call if you need anything!" Trisha said as she looked from Judy and then to Nick, "And I mean anything," she said suggestively as she looked over at Judy. With that the bunny was skipping away to another table.

"If she lays it on any heavier she may break your back," Nick said as he watched Trisha hop away.

"I think she's super sweet! And those bright blues she's got!" Judy said kindly, defending the other bunny.

"Eh, Blue is ok, I can think of a better color though," Nick muttered as he took a drink from his glass.

"Really, which one?" Judy asked as she looked over at Nick excitedly.

Nick didn't say anything as he gazed at Judy, he just gave her a wink that almost made her fall out of her chair.

Judy felt flustered and her breathing was slightly labored. She thought it would be best to catch her breath and maybe try out the drink Trisha had brought her. As she brought the blue liquid close to her lips her nose twitched as it picked up the aroma of berries along with a strong spirit mixed in. Judy was happily surprised as she took a sip of the liquid and tasted a sweet blue berry taste followed by a slight burn from the liquor. "Wow, this is amazing," Judy muttered as she took another sip.

"Careful now Carrots, it's the sweet ones that get ya," Nick teased as he watched Judy take another long sip from her strong drink.

"You talking about me or the drink?" She asked happily as she set her drink down, already feeling some effects.

As the night went on the two talked about their days, gossiped about work, asked about each other's friends and how they were doing. Not once had the night howler case come up. Judy loved every second of it. They finally reached the subject she had been slightly nervous about though.

"So about this dream?" Nick asked as he sipped his beer. He was only on his second drink which was still full. Judy however was about to kill drink #3, Trisha had been very attentive and ensured Judy's glass was never empty.

"Oh gosh…" Judy sounded embarrassed as she sat back in her seat and looked around nervously. Her eyes finally went back to Nick who had an evil grin on his face. "Out with it," The fox ordered.

"Which one do you want to hear about first?" Judy asked, her words slurred slightly.

"There is more than one?" Nick blurted out as he did his best not to spit out his beer.

"Aw shit, that's right you didn't know about the sex one…"Judy said as she shook her head. She froze as her eyes went wide. 'Damn it mouth!' She thought.

Nick was laughing hard at this point as he set his drink down, "Okay wait, what? The sex one?"

"Ok ok, can I just explain?" Judy asked as she sat up and began to wave her arms around. Nick did his best to regain his composure and allowed Judy to explain.

Judy found the whole situation very awkward and was very happy they were discussing this after a few drinks. She explained what had happened in the first dream and how it had made her all sorts of awkward the next day.

"And the other one?" Nick asked as he leaned closer to the table, a look of intrigue across his face.

"Please don't make me say it..." Judy said as she put her arms on the table and tried to bury her head in embarrassment.

"Oh no you don't, I want all the juicy details!" Nick said as he reached over and gave one of her ears a gentle tug. Had any other mammal done this Judy would have probably pinned them to the table and made them regret it. Her mind though took a different route as she thought of pinning the fox down and then tearing off her own shirt.

Judy took a deep breath and slowly peaked from her hiding spot. Nick still had his paw wrapped around the tip of her ear and was rubbing it gently, "Come on," Nick said with a grin. Maybe Nick wasn't aware of what he was doing or maybe he was. But Judy closed her eyes as her mouth slid open, a small moan escaping her, her ears had always been a source of arousal, at least the tips.

"Fine," Judy said as she bit her lip. She didn't want him to stop but she also didn't know how well she would be able to control herself at this rate. She sat up slowly and Nick released her ear. Judy then took a deep breath and began to explain in detail what happened in the second dream. When she finished she reached over to her drink and drained its contents, wincing from the sudden burn.

"Wow," Nick said with an amazed look, "Well then..." He took a long drink from his glass and then put it down gently.

"Yeah, so it's been kinda crazy, I am just glad that we are finally here together," Judy said happily as she looked over at her fox.

"I am glad you're here too," Nick said with a smile. Judy noticed something and it caused her to panic slightly. Nick was apparently losing his edge after all the drinks, she picked up a hint of something in his tone, and it was sadness.

"What's wrong Nick?" She asked as her ears drooped slightly and she began to sway nervously.

Nick gave Judy a smile as he gazed into her eyes and looked like he was searching for words.

The mind can be an amazing but dangerous thing. As Judy looked at her partner a sudden realization swept over her. A flood of memories from the past few days came crashing down like a wave. Judy had been so focused on getting to this point she hadn't taken time to notice anything else.

Nick had never said the word date.

"Nick, where are we going?" She asked, not implying a physical destination, "You know, with this?" Judy pointed at the fox and then to her.

It was at that moment Trisha showed up with another drink, "This one is on the boys from 16!" Trisha said happily as she placed the drink on the table and scooped up the empty glass. The brown bunny looked happily at Judy and then to Nick and then back to Judy. Her eyes twitched slightly and her eyes went wide nervously as she picked up the tension at the table, "I'll just be somewhere else," she then retreated from the table.

Nick stood from his chair and then pushed it around the table so he was sitting right next to Judy. He then gently scooped up her paw in his good one and gave her an encouraging squeeze.

"Judy, you are the most amazing mammal in the whole of Zootopia," Nick began, there was love in his emerald eyes as he gazed at Judy, "And I know everyone, so you know it's true."

Judy gave him a weak smile. She could feel her heart beating erratically as she nervously waited for the fox to finish breaking what she could tell was bad news.

"When you first came to Zootopia I didn't have a direction, I was always just thinking of the next scam and how to mess with other mammals. I had no goals, no prospects, and no future." He looked down at her gray paw wrapped in his black one and smirked, "Then came along this wonderful little bunny in a meter maid outfit."

Judy felt a tear roll down her cheek, though she was worried where this was going it was so very beautiful none the less.

"I was rude to her. I didn't give her the respect she deserved. Then she went off and did something amazing," Nick looked up at Judy once more, "She hustled me, she hustled me so good."

Judy burst out with a laugh as another tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped away the liquid and gave a slight sniffle.

"You not only hustled me, you changed me, you gave me direction," Nick continued with confidence. "You gave me purpose, you gave me drive." Nick paused and took in a deep breath, "You gave me someone to love."

Judy was shaking as she continued to chuckle lightly. The emotions that swirled inside her were struggling for dominance.

"You are the most important thing in the whole world to me Judy! You are my partner, my ally, and the greatest friend I know I will ever have," Nick explained as he gave her small paw another squeeze, "When I couldn't see you in the hospital though, my world was falling apart. I always had a plan to get out of a hustle gone badly. Always an idea on where to turn next. But that day, I had nothing. There was no plan, no ideas, without you there was no point." Judy noticed at this point she wasn't the only one with tears in her eyes. She reached out and tenderly wiped a tear from the fox's cheek.

"Judy without you in my life I have nothing," Nick continued, "Which is why I am actually scared about all this. What happens if I mess up? What happens if we fight? What happens if we find out it just doesn't work between us?" All of the questions were valid and important. Judy respected Nick too much to just brush them aside. What if this was just some kind of fling that some mammals had suggested? What if they have to break it off? Would they be the same? Or would it cause friction that would eventually ruin their friendship altogether?

"Judy I can't risk poisoning what we have together, not just yet, if what we have together ended one day…I would end," Nick finished as he looked at Judy with both love and sorrow.

The words stung and Judy felt sad that her dreams weren't necessarily coming true. At the same time she was so happy at the words Nick used. He loved her, which was obvious, loved her more than anything.

"Not just yet?" She asked with a faint smile.

Nick let out a cautious sigh, "Yes, I think for now I just need time, we need time."

"I can wait..." Judy said with a whisper as she leaned over to Nick. The fox didn't struggle or move as the gray bunny gently kissed him on the cheek.

"I know you can, but you shouldn't," He said as he gave her paw a squeeze once more. "Judy can you make me a promise?"

As Judy sat back in her chair she grinned, "Anything."

"I want you to live life! Be happy and do what that crazy singer you love so much said and try everything! If something comes along I want you to go for it. I will always be here! We will always be here" Nick said firmly.

"As you wish," Judy said. She told herself just to agree to the request, she could wait for him, and she would wait for him. Judy looked away for a moment as she allowed another tear to roll down her cheek. She had to think for a moment. Nick had not shot her down technically, he hadn't said they would never be together, he just needed time to sort himself out. She wanted more though, she wanted what they had to grow, but it wasn't fair to him to force that.

"Nick, when we were at the hospital, after my parents left and…well we cuddled," Judy began to mutter.

"I am so sorry if I led you on Carrots, if you are mad at me for that you have every right to…" Nick began to apologize.

"Can we still do that?" Judy cut him off as she looked back at her fox.

Nick stopped mid-sentence in surprise and looked over at Judy with a small smirk. He didn't say a word as he adjusted himself in his seat and opened his arms. Judy hopped down from her chair and gently climbed into the fox's lap. Her ears drooped down behind her, not in sadness though, in comfort. She closed her eyes as she nuzzled into his chest. An occasional tear still rolled down her cheek still, but it was more out of happiness she told herself. She felt the fox wrap his arm around her and hold her close in a tender embrace. The two didn't say anything for a while.

Though they were not alone in the large bar Judy felt like the whole world just melted away till it was just the pair sitting in the chair, floating in a warm fog. "I'm sorry if I forced this," Judy muttered as she nuzzled her cheek against the fox's chest. He was so warm and smelled wonderful to her.

"You didn't carrots, you just raised the stakes is all," The fox whispered kindly as he gently ran his good paw down her ears. "Who knows, in Zootopia you can be anything, maybe down the line we can be something."

Judy shivered at the words and smiled, "mmmmm, say more nice things," she mumbled as she felt the liquor in her system take control once more.

"Well we are an awesome crime fighting duo," Nick began.

"Yes," Judy mumbled happily.

"We survived a car crash so I am beginning to believe we are invincible, maybe even super heroes," The fox continued playfully.

"You would make a great side kick," Judy teased as she placed a paw on Nick's chest and patted it lightly.

"Only if I can have a cape too,"

"No, NO CAPES!" Judy shot back quickly. She didn't know why but the thought of capes just didn't sound like a very good idea, almost dangerous.

"Ok ok, no capes, geeze," Nick said with a chuckle.

"Nick?"

"Hmmm?"

"Can we not make this awkward?" Judy asked as she opened her eyes and looked up at Nick. "Like, can we not pretend this didn't happen and keep going out like this? Even though we aren't, well you know, I am still having so much fun and would love to keep this up"

Nick let out a sly grin, "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Going out with you?" Judy asked hopefully as she looked into those bright green eyes of his.

"Yes, yes you are"

* * *

 **I know this chapter didn't go as some of you had hoped. I just want you to know that this is just the start of something amazing! I have big plans for our couple and things will evolve down the line. If Judy can wait then I guess so can we.**

 **Also you may notice this chapter came out kind of quick. Well that is because I had a last minute idea for the next chapter! I hope to have it done and posted right away.**

 **As a thank you for all the reviews, follows, favorites, and the out pouring of support next chapter is a bonus one: The Halloween Party.**

 **Cya soon!**

 **-Blue**


	20. Halloween Bonus Chapter

Bonus Chapter: The Halloween Party. (Warning Explicit Material in chapter)

Judy had fond memories of Halloween back in Bunny Burrow. This was the second year though that she would be missing the huge festival and all her brothers and sisters dressing up however. The bunny felt a small pang of regret when the thought of missing her family crossed her mind. She let out a small sigh as she opened her phone and looked through a gallery of pictures from a few years back at the festival. She chuckled when she saw a picture of herself, surrounded by her brothers and sisters. All of them wearing different costumes and outfits. Judy was posing in a police uniform, this was before she had joined the ZPD however. She always went as a cop, she couldn't remember ever dressing up as anything else.

Judy looked over at her desk from the bed she was currently laying in. On the chair was a blue ZPD shirt, the same shirt she had worn the night before at her date with Nick. Well maybe date wasn't the right word. The events from last night played over in her head. Judy had been hoping that the night would have ended differently. Nick had already known Judy's feelings when it came to the two of them. Though he had very strong feelings for he didn't think going farther would be wise at this time. However to the pair's credit the evening had not really gotten awkward and their friendship still seemed intact. Even when the night was over and Nick walked her back to her place he had made sure to end the night on a sweet note. When they reached Judy's front door she had turned to look up at Nick. He gave her a warm smile and then pulled her into a gentle hug. It wasn't the passionate kiss she had been wanting but just being close to him seemed to be enough for now. With that the night had ended and Judy had woken up in her own bed, feeling somewhat lonely.

Much to the rabbits annoyance she had not heard from Nick all day. She had sent her normal good morning message but her phone had remained silent. It was now late morning and she began to worry that maybe last night had done something to create a gap between them. Her thoughts were interrupted however when a sudden knock came from her door. Judy nearly jumped out of bed as she scrambled towards the entry way. She took a moment to check herself in the mirror, satisfied with the blue plaid shirt and jeans combo. She gave herself a nod in the mirror and then reached for the door know as another knocking echoed in her room.

Much to Judy's surprise it wasn't nick that stood in the door way but a large panda. The panda was in a green outfit with the logo of a cheetah on the chest. Judy recognized the outfit that was normally worn by couriers that moved through the city with priority mail and parcels. The panda looked down at a small tablet in one of his massive paws and then up at Judy, a large box held under his massive arms, "Ms. Hopps?" He asked professionally as he studied Judy.

"Yes, that's me," The rabbit said excitedly, she loved receiving mail.

"Sign please!" The panda said happily as he held out the tablet.

Judy grabbed a small stylus on the side of the tablet and scribbled her signature. She couldn't help but giggle with excitement as the panda put the large package down in front of her.

"Have a good day ma'am!" The panda said as he checked the signature and then nodded to Judy and then turned to head down the hall.

"You too! Happy Halloween!" Judy practically shouted as she dragged the box into her apartment and shut the door. The box wasn't too heavy but it had some weight too it, there was obviously several objects inside. Judy scanned the box and found a bright orange envelope taped to the top. Judy grabbed the envelope and quickly tore it open, her hands fumbling in excitement.

Judy recognized the hand writing as Nicks: "Good morning Carrots, I have a surprise for you, inside you will find instructions on what you need to do with the materials provided. Give me a call if you need any help or when you are done. Have fun!"

Judy studied the note for a second and then looked at the box curiously. "What are you planning Nick?" Judy whispered as she grabbed a pair of scissors from her desk and began to open the box.

Judy began to pull several items from the box and placed them on her bed. She found a t shirt, jogging pants, mini skirt, towel, a large bandana, and even a mask that would cover her eyes if need be. There seemed to be a theme going on since they were all the same color: Black.

"We robbing a place or something?" Judy asked herself as she looked at the new array of clothing. It was all made of an odd material that Judy had a hard time recognizing, it was almost shiny but it felt thick and durable.

The next item though began to give her a clue as to what was going on. It was a smaller box that contained a few jars, markers, and paint pens. All of them had large glow in the dark labels, indicating that when placed under a black light they would shine in different colors.

Judy reached into the box and produced a small portable black light next and she grinned as everything began to connect. "Oh this has to be good," She thought out loud as she waved the light around like a sword.

Finally Judy found a stack of papers that had been stapled together. Judy began to read through the information and finally understood what Nick had planned, "You sly fox."

The papers gave instruction on how to properly create a glow costume for a painted party. Judy had heard of these kind of events and had always wanted to attend one. They were especially popular this time of year. The event would normally be held at a warehouse or large open space where a series of black lights would be mounted and illuminate the party goers. The idea behind the outfit was to draw an image that could only be seen under the black lights. There were a few examples pictured on the pages. One showed a bright green stick figure, the shape of a wolf barely visible in the low light. Another had the image of a lion on what looked like an elephant's belly.

The final page of the stack had information about the painted party that Judy and Nick would apparently be attending. "You are awesome inside and out!" The flyer read. "Why dress up as what you want to be when you can paint your inner self for all to see! This year's theme is your inner you! Paint what you want to be or feel like on the inside! Time to show the world who you are!"

Judy had to think for a moment and then began to understand, "Who I want to be..."She muttered as she looked over at the paint. A few ideas popped into her mind but one stuck out. She grinned as she looked at the flyer once more. "This is gonna be fun." With that Judy placed the papers down and began to create her costume, humming a familiar tune from Gazelle while she worked.

When Judy was finally finished creating her costume she sat back triumphantly. She grabbed the black light and closed the blinds over her window, plunging the room into darkness. She clicked the light on and admired her handy work, "this is awesome!" She exclaimed. She clicked the black light off and opened the blinds once more. It was now the late afternoon and the sun was still high in the sky, flooding Judy's small apartment with natural light.

Judy grabbed her phone from her bed and quickly pawed a few keys till Nick's smiling face filled the screen. She put the phone on speaker and waited as the other line began to ring.

On the third ring came a familiar voice, "I'm guessing you just got a package?" Nick said smoothly.

"Yeah, already made something pretty awesome!" Judy said happily as she looked at the now blank looking outfit on her bed.

"Really? You work quickly!" Nick sounded surprised.

"Was about to say the same thing, this is pretty elaborate! How did you pull this off so quick?"  
Judy asked with curiosity as she looked at the flyers once more.

"I have a few friends who helped with this one, but I was planning on surprising you with this anyways, just glad we had the day off, you should crash into things more often" Nick teased.

"Happy I could help with that," Judy said as she rolled her eyes.

"So what did you decide to go as?" Nick asked, his voice sounding curious.

"You shall see," Judy said slyly.

"Aww come on carrots!"

"Why don't you tell me yours and I'll tell you mine!" Judy suggested playfully.

"Nah, think it would be better as a surprise"

"Then we will both be surprised!" Judy shot back as she crossed her arms and plopped herself on her bed.

"Guess we will," Nick muttered, "Listen I would love to chat but I still have one or two things that I need to do today. How about we meet at your place around 6?"

"It's a date," Judy let slip out, she winced when she realized how awkward that just made things. Nick however knew how to recover.

"Don't tell Trisha that, she may get jealous," Nick teased, "I'll cya at 6 carrots!"

"Har har, you're just jealous she likes me more!" Judy shot back, "Ill cya then Nick."

The rest of the day seemed to drag on as Judy just relaxed around her apartment. Her doctor had said to lay off any strenuous activity like exercising, so Judy did her best but she was starting to get a little stir crazy. She decided that some stretches couldn't hurt and it was better than just sitting around and surfing the internet at this point. Judy hopped out of bed and walked over to her computer. The screen saver was in slideshow mode and just before she brought the computer back to live she saw an image of her and Nick in one of the many selfies she took of them at work. The two were sitting in a squad car holding ice cream. Both of them had smeared there ice cream around their lips and were grinning stupidly. Nick had bright green mint all over while Judy was covered in a pink strawberry. The image disappeared as Judy moved the cursor and clicked on a music program. Within a few seconds a steady beat was beginning to fill her small apartment. She always worked out better when there was some kind of music playing.

Judy took a deep breath as she stepped away from her laptop and rolled out a yoga mat that had been hidden under her bed. The bunny then began to stretch out her muscles as the music continued to play. She allowed herself to become lost in her thoughts as she closed her eyes. Her mind went to the night before with Nick and the 'date'.

She felt her heart rate go up when she thought about cuddling into him and just sitting in his arms. Trisha had come round and checked on them a few times, every time she did Judy remembered hearing a sweet sounding, "Awww, you guys are so gross!" Judy giggled at the memory as it played over in her mind. She made a mental note to call Trisha sometime, the bunny had been insistent on giving Judy her number, Judy had not protested in the slightest and actually looked forward to hanging out with her sweet new friend, especially if more of those awesome drinks were involved.

Maybe it was the fact she hadn't worked out in a few days or that she was still recovering but Judy felt a steady sweat begin to form all over her fur. 'Out of shape?' Her mind teased. Judy shrugged off the thought and pushed herself a little farther. She always tried to push her own limits and the results were obvious from her trim form and strong muscles.

As another set of songs began to play Judy opened her eyes and looked over at the radio clock on her desk. She had been at this for almost an hour now and the day was beginning to wind down. She decided it would be best to stop and rest before the party. That was until her favorite song came on. "Okay, maybe a little longer," She told herself as she began to dance to the Gazelle song. The version that piped up from her computer was a dance mix she had found a while back and she used it to get herself pumped up before work outs sometimes. She was always impressed with how the beta made her feel, music was a powerful thing and seemed to affect Judy in odd ways sometimes.

As the beat continued she continued to sway to the beat and slowly ran her paws down her waist, feeling that her shirt was moist from sweet she placed her paws on her hips and then tore her shirt off. She threw the damp clothing to the side and looked at herself in the mirror, very proud of what she saw. Her bright blue sports bra covering her chest but allowing the rest of her body to be exposed. Judy took in a deep breath as she slid a paw down her side and smirked, "Sexy bunny," She said to her reflection and then continued to sway her body.

Judy looked around nervously as if someone would be watching her or starting to judge. She reminded herself that she was alone in her room and that anything would go. A sly smirk crossed her lips as she decided to change her style a little. Normally Judy's dances were fun and playful. She would love just hopping to the beat and Nick always gave her a hard time on her silly dance moves. She was the type of bunny that didn't care what others thought though so she would just continue her ridiculous moves. She had fond memories of dancing in front of her brothers and sisters when they went to festivals or the occasional school dance.

Every once and a while when she found herself alone with music playing she would get the urge to change up her style. Judy slowly crossed her arms over her head as she continued to sway her hips to the beat. As Judy closed her eyes she ran her paws sensually down her body, her paws giving her breasts a firm squeeze as they crossed her chest, she bit her lip at the sensation as her paws continued to wander. Her hips beginning to make a grinding motion. This was definitely not a dance she would ever use in front of the family. Judy felt her paws slide down towards her waist and ending behind her as she felt her behind. She could feel her fluffy tail switch slightly behind her. The bunny looked at herself in the mirror. Her eye lids were drooped and her lips were parted. Had she given that look to one of the bucks back home they would probably had fallen over. She wondered what Nick would do if she saw her right now.

As the beat continued Judy slowly rested a paw on one of her breasts as her other paw went to her waist band and began to slide her pants down. After she stripped that article of clothing off she looked she scanned the mirror once more. She was practically naked at this point and the music was beginning to take total control. Judy closed her eyes as she continued to move to the beat. 'Just do it, no one is watching,' the voice in her head egged her on. Judy complied and stripped the remaining articles of clothing off till she was completely naked. She didn't open her eyes though as she ran her paws over her fur. She couldn't explain why but she was feeling a little sensitive and she felt a shiver roll down her body as she felt herself up. Judy began to slide one of her paws down her stomach towards her legs, its intended destination obvious. She bit her lip as she was so close to a pleasurable moment.

The moment was interrupted by a sudden buzzing coming from her phone. Judy opened her eyes as she gasped in surprise, "Woah…that was…wow," the bunny muttered as she had to collect herself. She had been lost in the moment and had to catch her breath. Judy looked over at the mirror at her naked form and stuck a quick pose, giggling at her own antics. She then hopped over to her phone. A message from Nick was waiting for her. "Errands almost done, should be finished early, want to hang out a little earlier?" The message read. Judy's eyes went wide with joy as she quickly texted back, the typing coming at a machine guns pace, "Yes! I just finished working out and practicing my dance moves, just need to clean up and then I'll be ready!" She sent the reply.

Nick's response appeared seconds later, "Practicing the Judy Hop? That one's a classic!"

Judy rolled her eyes, "Can't wait to see the Nick roll!"

With that she set her phone down and took in a deep breath as she began to think about what she needed to do to get ready.

'Maybe you should take care of yourself,' her inner voice suggested.

"No time," She responded quietly.

'You sure? You are kinda wound up down there, maybe it would be best to handle that now?'

Judy looked over at herself in the mirror once more and then towards her bathroom where a warm shower would be waiting.

'Just once?' Her mind suggested.

Judy bit her lower lip as she looked over at her phone, the image of Nick and Judy together filled the tiny screen as it locked itself.

"Once, and then we soap up like crazy, don't want to have to pour hot chocolate on myself again," She said as she strolled confidently over to the bathroom and flipped the flickering lights on.

It didn't take long for a steam to fill the small room as the hot water sprayed onto the shower floor. Judy tested the temperature with her paw, satisfied it was at the right level she stepped into the stream. Her fur matted against her body as the water poured over her. She stepped completely underneath the showerhead and allowed the warm sensation roll over her head as she closed her eyes.

'Go on now, just real quick'

Judy bit her lip as she slowly slid a paw down her stomach once more, this time reaching her intended destination. Judy let out a small moan as she began to feel the pleasure that formed from her actions.

'Good girl'

She began to move her hips slightly as she continued to rub herself with one of her paws. The other glided up to her breasts as she began to fondle herself.

'There you go!'

The pleasurable sensations began to fill the bunny up as her breathing became slightly labored. She took in a deep breath as she slowly slid her fingers inside. Her legs twitched slightly as she leaned against the wall and slowly slid down till she was sitting on the shower floor. The warm water was still pouring over her as she began to let out a few soft moans.

'Almost there'

"Yes," Judy said with a grin as she continued to pleasure herself. "Almost…"

As Judy continued she began to become slightly rough with herself. She had always like some kind of physical pressure and pushing herself. The same could be said when in the bedroom as well. The paw between her legs began to move faster and faster.

"Go for it Carrots!" The voice in her head had changed. It was Nick, her mind flashing images of the fox standing over her. A savage look in his eyes as he towered over her. "You are almost!" The fox was shouting in her mind. This put her over the edge as a tidal wave of pleasure shot through her body. Judy arched her back and felt her legs twitching.

She just sat there on the floor for a little while and stared at the ceiling, her breathing still labored, "Haven't done that in a while," Judy muttered as she began to slowly stand up. "Thanks for the help on the last part Nick," The bunny giggled as the image of Nick flashed in her mind.

After soaping herself down thoroughly and cleaning herself off the wet bunny stepped from the shower and wrapped a large towel around her naked body. She spent the next 20 minutes drying herself and brushing her fur till she was satisfied she would look nice for the party.

Judy decided it was time to don her "costume" so she would be ready to go whenever Nick was ready. Judy put on the black jogging pants and shirt one. Both were actually a little tight on her, she wondered if Nick had gotten a slightly smaller size on purpose. He had done that before as a joke when they were supposed to go hang out with friends. She still remembered the cat calls from passersby as they stared at her slender frame. She still needed to get him back for that one.

Judy then closed the blinds and grabbed the black light as she walked over to the mirror. She popped open a box that continued some glow in the dark fur paint and began to draw an image on her own face. She had to pause a few times because she was giggling too much. When she was done she made a series of faces and some noises that would go well with her current outfit. Happy with her handy work she opened the blinds once more and shut the black light off. When she looked at herself in the mirror again she was surprised at how well the paint hid in the daylight. Judy just looked like she was wearing a black outfit, nothing more.

"This is so cool," She said as she posed in front of the mirror, tempted to test out the black light again. Her phone buzzed once more with a message from Nick. The fashion show would have to wait as the fox indicated he was only a few minutes away.

Judy took the time to clean up her apartment and toss all the contents of the box she hadn't used inside. She then placed the large parcel in the corner behind her door. The bunny scanned her apartment and nodded in satisfaction just as a knocking came from the door.

Judy bounded over and swung the door open. Nick was standing in the hallway wearing an outfit that was similar to Judy's. His outfit was not as form fitting however and his shirt was a button up. "Nice costume carrots, let me guess, a carrot farmer," Nick teased Judy as he looked the rabbit up and down, pretending to be able to see what was painted on.

"Ha ha, you are a riot Wilde," Judy said as she stepped aside and welcomed the fox in. Nick took a few steps in and gazed around the small apartment.

"Still can't believe you live in this shoe..." The fox was cut off as Judy closed the door behind him and dove for the fox, wrapping him in a warm waist hug from behind.

"Ah! Rabid Rabbit attack!" Nick yelled as he tried to squirm free. Judy was laughing now as she squeezed harder and held on tight. "Someone call 911!"

Nick slowly waddled over to Judy's bed where he collapsed fast first onto the sheets and remained that way while Judy laid on top of him.

"Now it is the mighty rabbit that is the top of the food chain!" Judy said triumphantly, still holding onto Nick as she closed her eyes and just enjoyed being close to him.

"Oh really?" Nick said, his voice muffled from the sheets as he began to stand up from the bed.

Judy opened her eyes suddenly, "Uh oh," she shouted as she felt Nick begin to rise. The small bunny did her best to hold onto Nick as he began to turn around so his back was towards the bed, "Nick, don't you dare!" Judy said as she began to laugh. She could already feel the fox begin to fall backwards. "Nick, Nick, wait! AH!" The bunny squealed as Nick landed on top of Judy, squishing her between the bed and himself.

"Top of the food chain again!" Nick said plainly, only putting in a small effort with his cheer.

"Officer needs assistance!" Judy's voice was muffled underneath the fox.

Nick laughed as he sat up slightly and heard a gasp from the small gray bunny that was still stuck underneath him, "You weigh like a ton!" Judy shouted as she tried to squirm free.

"Could be worse!" Nick said slyly as he looked over his shoulder as Judy pressed her head against his shoulder.

"How can it possibly be worse…oh shit," The rabbit regretted the words as soon as they left her lips. She had learned a long time ago never to ask that question, she needed a refresher course it seemed though.

Nick quickly sat up and turned around with an evil grin as he towered over Judy. "Please be gentle," She said meekly as she began to try and crawl away. There would be no such mercy as the fox reached down and began to tickle Judy's sides with his good paw. "Stop! No, not there! Ah!" Judy squealed as she tried to burrow under the covers and hide from her attacker, laughing the whole while.

"I can't stop it Judy! It's like something has taken over! Maybe it's the night howlers!" Nick teased as he continued to pursue the bunny and managed to grab hold of one of her large rabbit feet. Judy froze as she looked from under the blanket, "Nick please, not there, anywhere but there!" Judy pleaded as she tried her best to convince the fox to let her go. It was no use as Nick began to wrap his arm around Judy's ankle so he could tickle the bottom of her gray feet.

The noises that Judy made caused the fox to burst out laughing. The poor bunny seemed to be especially sensitive under her feet and was squirming as she squeaked in between fits of laughter.

When Nick was finally satisfied he let Judy's foot go, she didn't pull it away from him right away however, knowing that the damage was done and his evil ways had been satisfied. Nick was sweating slightly and had to wipe his forehead as he caught his breath, he was still recovering so that much activity had really done a number on him.

Judy was full on panting at this point as she laid on her back and looked up at the ceiling, her chest rising and falling quickly as her tongue hung out the side of her mouth. "One day Wilde….I am gonna have my revenge!" Judy muttered as she pointed at the ceiling and then let her arm fall across her face.

"Till then I better just enjoy myself!" Nick said as he laid in bed next to Judy. Even after the vicious attack Judy scooted closer to the fox and rested her head next to his and gave him a gentle nuzzle.

The two laid in bed for a while, not speaking, just enjoying the sounds of one another's breathing. It was moments like this that Judy enjoyed. If they never dated it would not be the end of her world as long as she could share moments like this with her fox. Everything just seemed so right at that moment as Judy felt Nick give Judy a slight nuzzle with his chin. She shivered in excitement and just enjoyed the affection as she closed her eyes and just relaxed.

After a while Nick slowly sat up and looked over at the clock on Judy's desk. "It's already 6?" He said in surprise. "Party is gonna starts in an hour and we still need a cab!" Nick quickly got out of bed and pulled his phone from his pocket as he opened a taxi pick up app.

"5 more minutes!" Judy said as she reached up and tugged at the fox's shirt, trying to convince him to return to her side.

"Come on carrots, don't want to be late! The start of the party is one of the best parts!" Nick said as he locked his phone, having ordered a car to pick them up. "App says there is a driver in our area! They will be here in just a few minutes!"

It took some convincing but Nick was finally able to get Judy out of bed. She took an extra minute or two making sure her costume was all set and then the duo was out the door and heading downstairs.

The drive took longer than Judy had expected, it turned out that this party was known as the Beach Blocks. This was a large region on Zootopia's southern side. It was connected to the city central districts and was considered to be part of the urban zones but it had a unique ecosystem of its own. There was always the smell of the sea wafting over the buildings which got shorter and shorter the closer one got to the shore. The idea being that no one's view should be blocked of the amazing beach views that spread along the coast.

Judy had only been to this area of Zootopia a handful of times. She had never had the opportunity to go while off duty however and had been meaning to visit to maybe try surfing or just go for a swim. She had offered to take Nick a few times and he had made jokes about seeing her in a swimsuit, they never had managed to make plans after Judy slugged him, especially after suggesting they visit the nude beach. Now however she wondered if he would still be game.

Their taxi finally arrived the entrance to a large pier with several massive buildings built on it. A few looked abandoned but one in particular was alive with activity. Judy noticed a lot of mammals approaching the structure were dressed like them, all of them wearing a variation of black outfit.

After paying for the cab the couple stepped out into the cool sea breeze. Judy taking a long deep breath of fresh air as she scanned the mammals that were heading towards the warehouse were a rhythmic thumping was emanating from.

"Shall we?" Nick asked as he held out his good arm. Judy looped her arm around Nicks and nodded in excitement.

"This is so exciting!" Judy declared as they joined the crowd that was heading towards the party.

When they reached a set of large double doors Judy noticed a few mammals were dressed in suits and were busy checking mammals for invitations. She looked at Nick expectantly as the fox produced a pair of tickets. There was a moment there when she thought he was just gonna wing it and try to take his way in, she was relieved however to know that he actually had tickets for the event.

As Judy and Nick finally entered the large open warehouse she felt slightly disappointed. There were a series of work lights on that illuminated the crowd that was busy mingling and laughing. There was no sign of a black light anywhere and she felt somewhat deflated. The bunny had been hoping to enter the room and see a sea of vibrant colors and shapes, but instead it was just an ocean of mammals in black outfits.

"Don't worry carrots, this is why it's important to arrive early," Nick explained as he led her through the crowd and towards a small table that was just the right height for the two of them to stand at. An otter in a white shirt came over and took gave the couple a drink menu. "If you need anything just find us, we will be the ones in white…for now" The otter explained with a smile and then headed to help another table.

The minutes began to roll by and the large warehouse continued to fill with mammals. It wasn't the largest of crowds Judy noted. Probably just under 300 mammals total. There were probably lots of parties like this going on in Zootopia so one wouldn't expect the place to be too crowded, the number to her though seemed just right since it wasn't exactly too crowded but there was still a lot of new mammals to meet and have fun with.

When the server returned Nick ordered for himself and Judy, who was having a hard time deciding what she wanted. Within just a few minutes the couple had their drinks and were sipping happily at the spirited beverages. "Drink up Carrots, it's all included, so the more we drink the cheaper things get!" Nick said as he toasted his partner.

"Still have that drinking problem I see," Judy teased as she took a sip from her glass. The drink was cool and refreshing but the liquor inside overpowered any other flavor. It wasn't nearly as nice as the drink she had gotten at the 10-7 bar the night before.

"You think Trisha goes to these kind of things?" Judy asked as she remembered the waitress from the night before. The brown bunny with her bright blue eyes flashed a warm smile in Judy's mind.

"Probably not, bet she's working on a night like tonight," Nick explained, "Why, you miss your girlfriend already?" He teased as he gave Judy a playful wink.

"Yeah, right!" Judy coughed as some of her beverage went down the wrong pipe, "I think she's fun, especially since she loves picking on you as much as I do!"

The conversation was interrupted as the music began to lower and a hush came over the crowd. "Alright everybody! Welcome to the annual paint party at the docks!" A loud voice filled the room. Judy looked around but realized there was no stage or announcer, just a series of large speakers and other forms of equipment spread throughout the large open area.

"We know you are all excited to get started so let's just get right too it! In 10!" The voice began to count down as the music grew louder and a dance beat began to fill Judy's ears.

"9, come on get those paws moving"

Judy scanned the room and saw a few mammals move to a large clearing in the room that was obviously meant to be a dance floor. A few others stayed at their tables and began to don some masks.

"8, costumes ready?"

Judy looked at Nick with excitement in her eyes as she made sure her shirt was on straight.

"7, come on now let's get moving!"

Judy looked up at Nick and then at the dance floor.

"6, feel that rhythm!"

Judy nodded over at the dance floor and gave Nick a broad grin. The fox looked over at the dance floor and then back at Judy's pleading face.

"5, it's getting darker!"

The lights in the room began to dim. Nick let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes. He then smiled at Judy and nodded.

"4, beats getting faster!"

Judy grabbed Nick's good paw and quickly dragged him to the area where a few mammals were beginning to move to the beat.

"3, almost there!"

Judy began to feel the beat flow through her muscles as she held onto Nick's hand and hopped in place.

"2, you all ready?"

The room was filled with an electricity at this point as every mammal looked around in anticipation for the reveal of their costumes. The lights were continuing to dim.

"1, here we go."

The lights went completely out and the music stopped. It was almost pitch black in the large room and Judy felt her ears twitched as she scanned the room for noise.

Suddenly the darkness was gone as the room was cast into a purple glow. A large series of black lights hung from the ceiling and had been installed underneath tables to ensure maximum exposure to the unique light. Judy looked around and was amazed at all the different colors she saw scattered around the room.

Her eyes went wide and froze as they landed on Nick. The fox had painted a large orange carrot on his chest. The carrot had bright green arms that went down Nick's sleeves and bright green legs that had been drawn on his pants. It looked like a giant smiling carrot was standing in front of Judy.

Even though the room was dark Judy could still see Nick's expression and was pleased as she saw his eyes go wide in surprise. While Nick had used the opportunity to be playful and maybe a certain level of sweet Judy had gone an alternate route.

Her outfit was covered in a series of orange swirls that formed to make a canine like shape. It wasn't difficult to know what mammal she had intended to become that night. Instead of black however she had gone with purple on her muzzle and paws. She had drawn a pair of orange fox ears on her own and had tipped them with purple.

"What do you think Carrots?" Judy asked Nick playfully swapping their nicknames.

"You would make one hell of a fox!" Nick said as the music began to start up once more.

"And you are one handsome carrot!" Judy said as she winked at Nick.

The party began to pick up and the duo found themselves enjoying a much needed break together. Judy absolutely loved the costume party idea and made a few mental notes for next year as she saw different mammals showing off different costumes.

"Oh by the way, watch the tail!" Judy said as she turned around to show of her tail which was covered in purple and orange paint. She received a burst of laughter from Nick as he looked at the rabbit's rear end.

Tonight was the perfect example of what they were, Judy thought to herself as the party went on into the evening. Just because they weren't together didn't mean they couldn't enjoy themselves. She was grateful for the experiences Nick had brought into her life and looked forward to however much time they would have together. She did her best not to get to lost in her thoughts this evening though. After all it was Halloween and she was with Nick, how could life get better?

* * *

 **Happy Halloween Everyone! Hope you enjoyed this little bonus last minute chapter!**

 **I want to take a moment to thank everyone for the support I have received during this story. Every review is greatly appreciated and makes my day.**

 **Every follower makes me strive to make more updates.**

 **And every favorite makes me excited to know that this story is one you have really enjoyed!**

 **Thanks again!**

 **-Blue**


	21. Back 10-8

Back 10-8

All good things must come to an end eventually. Most mammals would have wanted to extend a vacation before returning to work. Judy however was the exact opposite. She had called the ZPD's medical examination staff earlier in the week and requested an appointment so she could be cleared to return to active duty. The nurse on the other end seemed surprised when she found Judy's file.

"Officer it says here you were involved in a major car incident that totaled the vehicle just a week ago. You do know that the ZPD will put you on paid leave for a minimum of 2 weeks before bringing you in for evaluation on duty status, you still have at least a week of paid time off!" The nurse said over the phone, oblivious to who she was talking to. Judy had wanted to return to active duty sooner but had taken a week off so she and Nick could recover and enjoy a romantic week together after their date. Since the date had not gone exactly as planned she found herself with more free time than she had planned.

Judy wasn't mad about the situation. Far from it, she was happy that all the feelings between the pair were now out in the open. Even though Nick shared very strong feelings for her, he didn't want to risk what they had just yet and make the final leap. She respected the idea, even if she didn't agree with it 100%. At the end of the day she was just happy that Nick and her were still best friends. She was especially happy that Nick had agreed to continue the close physical contact part of their relationship as well, though there wasn't much in the way of passionate kissing, Judy admitted she enjoyed the cuddling she was allowed to now engage in without worrying if it made Nick uncomfortable.

"I understand ma'am, but if you speak to chief Bogo I am sure he will clear me for an early return." Judy didn't want to argue, especially with the staff that would hopefully be clearing her for active duty, but she was already beginning to feel little stressed.

"Please hold," The nurse informed her. It took almost half an hour to finally clear things up but Chief Bogo finally managed to bring everyone on the same page. Judy passed all her evaluations with no major problems. There was a few prying questions made during a mental evaluation however that made Judy uneasy. In the end though she was given a clean bill of health and informed she could return to work immediately if she wanted.

It was going to be a bit of an adjustment however. Nick was still not cleared to return and wouldn't be for another 2 weeks since his arm was in a cast. Nick had made a few comments about breaking his other arm just to see how long he could milk medical leave. These comments were quickly corrected by Judy who would give him a jab in the ribs.

It was finally time for Judy to return to work. She had to slowly ease back into her morning routine, since she had been ordered to relax for the majority of her leave Judy hadn't done much in the way of working out. Her normal morning run left her completely drenched in sweat while a stitch in her side continued to scream for her to stop. She pushed herself though and returned back to her apartment triumphantly, though completely out of breathe.

"Hey is that Fox friend of yours over or something?!" Came a muffled shout as Judy began to strip off her jogging clothes.

"Shut up! She obviously just went for a run!"

"You shut up!"

Judy ignored the shouting coming from her neighbors as she strolled into the bathroom, now completely naked. The sweat matting her gray fur to her slender figure. She felt a slight chill in the room and quickly reached for the shower knows, turning the setting to hot. As Judy waited for the spray from her shower to warm up she checked herself out in the small mirror that hung on the bathroom wall. All of her bandages had been removed and the last of her bruises had finally begun to fade. Both her ears were standing straight up. Judy was glad when she had finally been able to remove the bandages that had covered her body. In a way it was kind of therapeutic, it was like stripping away the memories of the crash she had caused not long ago. She still felt bad for having put Nick through all this. She was still apologizing occasionally but Nick would always just smiled and shrugged the situation off.

Steam began to fill the small bathroom, signaling the water was at an optimal temperature. Judy snapped back into reality and hopped into the shower. It didn't take long for Judy to clean up after her work out. She had finally managed to catch her breath and her heart rate was returning to normal. She was now enjoying that wonderful work out high she got after a good run. Judy could feel a skip in her step as she got ready. She quickly put on a fresh uniform and snapped her duty belt around her waist. One of her gray paws absentmindedly reached for her tactical vest but only grasped open air. She looked over at the empty hanger and remembered the vest had been disposed of after the crash. The airbags had burned the fabric of the vest and there was also a few blood stains apparently. Judy felt a new pang of guilt. The wolf in charge of requisitions, Ty, had put a lot of effort in making her new custom vest and she had managed to completely destroy it in a day. Judy didn't have a spare vest at the moment which meant she would have to face Ty in order to get her old one back. The thought made her feel a little uneasy.

Judy let out a sigh as she checked herself in the mirror before heading out. Without her vest she felt naked, she had worn it on the first day at the ZPD and every day since. She looked at her chest and felt like it she was exposed to the whole world. She giggled at the thought of walking into the ZPD topless. 'That's one way to get a pay raise,' her inner voice teased, causing Judy to blush at the thought. Judy decided there wasn't much she could do about the vest and it would be best to just talk to Ty about getting her old one. She tried to think of something she could bribe Ty with, if this was Benny all she would have to do was raid the vending machines. The old wolf in requisitions however didn't have much of a sweet tooth though. A few ideas popped into the bunny's mind but none of them would be do able this early in the morning.

'Maybe he will be in a good mood today,' Judy thought as she headed out of her apartment. As the bunny reached the outside of her apartment building she felt a buzzing on her side as her phone chirped, indicating a message. As Judy strolled down the sidewalk towards work she unlocked her phone and looked down at the screen. All of her worries just disappeared when she saw the message was from Nick. She had wanted to message him earlier but since he would not be returning to work with her right away she had decided to just let him sleep in. Nick however was always full of surprises. Judy stopped as she read the message, a look of confusion crossing her face. The message was just one word, "Wait!"

Judy began to worry as her paws began to type out a message of concern. Before she could send out her message however she heard someone coughing behind her. Judy's ears twitched as she recognized who it was. He didn't even have to speak, Judy just knew what her fox sounded like. Judy quickly turned around and let out a happy gasp of surprise.

Nick was standing there in his standard green pawaiian shirt and tie combo. His arm was still in a cast, it was covered though with different get well wishes a few mammals had managed to scrawl. A giant smiling carrot with hearts around it was in the center, Nick teased that if the ZPD had not worked out Judy could always go into art. The fox had a small brown paper bag in his good paw. "Morning Carrots," The fox said warmly as he approached Judy. Judy squealed with excitement and quickly closed the gap as she dove at Nick, wrapping him in a hug. "Awww Nick! What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Judy asked as she nuzzled her cheek against his chest.

"Is that an invitation Carrots?" Nick teased as he gently wrapped his arms around the bunny and squeezed her. Judy looked up at Nick with wide eyes, "Don't tempt my Wilde," she teased as she stuck out her tongue. Nick chuckled as he looked down into Judy's wide purple eyes. The two remained that way for a few seconds longer. Judy didn't want to but she finally broke the embrace and took a step back. "So what are you doing up at this hour? Thought you would still be asleep during your leave?" Judy asked as she eyed the fox curiously.

"Well I knew it was my favorite bunny's first day back to school so I thought I would walk her to class!" Nick said as he winked at Judy. Judy felt her knees go weak at the words. "Aw, Nick that is so sweet!" Judy muttered as she shook her head in astonishment. 'If we ever end up dating, he is gonna get so many brownie points for this!' Judy thought.

"Also, got you some breakfast, gotta have a full stomach on your first day back," Nick said as he passed Judy the brown paper bag. "Aw what? Nick that's amazing!" Judy said happily as she opened the bag. She looked down inside excitedly and scanned the contents. Her face went dead pan as she saw the bag was just filled with blueberries that were obviously from the Hopp's family farm. "Don't hesitate to share," Nick said casually as he continued to stroll down the sidewalk. "Gee nick, you sure know how to spoil a girl," Judy said plainly as she popped some of the blueberries in her mouth. "I try," the fox said with his signature smirk.

The duo strolled down the streets towards the large ZPD building. The city was beginning to wake up and mammals could be seen heading to work as a few stores began to open their doors to early morning customers. Judy gave a few mammals friendly waves and of course her famous bright eyed smile as they passed a few businesses. Judy had been taking the same path to work every day since she moved here and had made many friends along the way, it seemed that everyone on her route knew her name and would give her a greeting or ask her how she was doing. Having been in the news during the first Night howler case probably helped but the bunny liked to think it was something more.

The large ZPD building came into few as the pair turned a street corner. Judy felt a mix of emotions begin to form. She was excited to be returning to work, anxious to solve the new case, nervous to face the wrath of Ty and sad that she would soon have to part with Nick's company. When they finally reached the wide steps that led up to the precinct Judy turned to look at Nick and gave him a nervous smile. Nick could tell something was wrong with his partner and swallowed the mouthful of berries he had been munching on before speaking.

"You ok carrots?" He asked as he studied the gray rabbit in front of him. His sharp green eyes trying to read her very thoughts. Judy took in a deep breath as she looked up at the imposing building in front of them and then back to her partner.

"Just weird you know, going to work without you is all, gonna be an adjustment." Judy explained as she smiled at Nick.

"Hey now, I'm just on leave! Not like Bogo has gotten rid of me! Well not yet at least!" Nick said with a chuckle.

"I know, sorry it's just, I don't know," Judy said as she shrugged her shoulders. There were a few fellow officers climbing the steps up to the precinct. Several of them took notice of the couple casually chatting at the bottom of the steps. Judy's ears twitched as she began to pick up other conversations. She wasn't listening to them closely but the occasional word would stick out. Words like: couple, cute, odd, and kiss. The last one caused Judy's cheeks to warm up.

"Well don't you worry, I'll be back up and running in no time, takes more than a car crash to take out Nick Wilde!" Nick exclaimed as he puffed out his chest.

"Dumb fox," Judy muttered as she shook her head and just enjoyed Nick's antics.

"Hey Hopps! Give your boy a kiss already and hurry up! We got briefing!" Came a shout from the top of the steps. Judy's eyes went wide and she looked up towards the large doors. Half of the day shift team was standing there with bemused looks on their faces. A few were having a hard time holding in their laughter while others where making kissy faces.

"Bunch of voyeurs!" Nick shouted up the steps. His comment was just met by a roar of laughter from the crowd. "Don't make me come up there and have Judy kick your collective asses! She will do it!" Nick said as he pointed at Judy, still giving the group of waiting officers the stink eye.

Judy wasn't looking at the officers, she was looking at Nick, and her face had a wicked look on it. Before Nick could even respond Judy grabbed the fox's wrist and pulled him down quickly. She then pressed her lips firmly against her partner's cheek and gave him a kiss. She could feel his muscles tense up as she allowed her lips to linger for a few seconds against his warm fur. She then pulled away and hopped up the stairs as if nothing had happened. The crowd of officers all cheered and hollered as the victorious bunny approached them, an obvious skip had returned to her step. Before entering the throng of pat on the back and victory high fives Judy took a moment to glance down at Nick. The fox was standing with his good paw on his hip, shaking his head, but with the widest smirk she had ever seen.

"Sly bunny," Nick mouthed up at Judy as he gave her a wine.

"Dumb fox," she mouthed back and giggled as she was surrounded by her cheering peers.

Judy felt like her paws would go numb from all the victory high fives she was receiving. She thought the whole situation was kind of silly but decided to just enjoy herself. She received a few playful comments and the occasional joke about who was the actual prey in the relationship. Judy wanted the happy atmosphere to go on but she thought it wasn't fair to Nick and everyone else if she didn't speak up.

"We aren't dating you guys that was just a playful joke!" Judy explained defensively.

"Sure Hopps," was the standard response.

"No really we aren't like that! Just friends I swear!" She had to continue to explain, the words tasted sour as she tried to get everyone to calm down. It felt weird, she was the one who wanted there to be more yet she found herself explaining why the partners were just that.

Much to Judy's relief she was rescued from the group of prying mammals as they strolled through the lobby. There was an excited squeaking noise coming from reception as the group approached. 'Thank the gods for that beautiful fat cheetah!' Her inner voice cheered. Clawhauser could barely contain himself as Judy made her way through the crowd of officers towards the cheetah. He was practically shaking in his seat as he beamed at the little bunny as she hopped up to his desk. "Good morning Benny!" Judy greeted the squeaking spotted mammal behind the desk. Benny began to look at the side of his desk and then back to Judy, only to look back at the side of the desk. Judy took the hint and strolled around the large wooden reception desk so she could get the welcome back hug the cheetah was obviously anxious to give her.

The cheetah hopped from the strained seat at his desk and wrapped Judy in a warm and squishy hug. The bunny's eyes bulged at the strong hug but soon her eye lids drooped as she wrapped her arms as best she could around Clawhauser's wide frame. Benny was famous for his friendly hugs and Judy had to admit it would be hard to decide who she loved hugging more, even Nick was at risk of losing the title to the cheetah. "Oh what a happy day it is in the Z to the P and the D! So glad your back!" Clawhauser blurted out as he gave the rabbit one last squeeze before setting her down.

Judy had to catch her breath as her lungs had all the air squeezed out. When she finally felt her breathing return to normal she smiled up at her friend. "Thanks Benny! It's great to be back! I wanted to thank you for all the help you have been! Driving my parents around while Nick and I were out of it was amazing!" As images of the past few days ran through her mind she remembered how helpful Benny had been during the whole ordeal. The cheetah had used a few of his vacation days to help play chauffeur while the Hopps were in town. She then remembered the conversation they had had at the train station. "Also thanks for breaking the news about Nick and I to my dad!" She said sarcastically as she crossed her arms and began to tap one of her large feet.

Clawhauser gave Judy a weak smile. The scene was somewhat amusing to passersby who didn't know the two. A small gray bunny glaring up at a large cheetah who seemed to be backing away slowly was quite a sight, even in Zootopia. "Sorry buns." Clawhauser muttered out meekly as he looked down at the floor, he then looked up with quivering lips and big kitten eyes. "Stop..." Judy said as she tried to maintain a stern look. Even for his large figure Clawhauser was starting to get to Judy, she wanted to let out a long "Awww" so badly at that moment. Benny maintained the look as he took a small shuffle towards Judy, his lip still quivering.

"Damnit Benny!" Judy urged out as she started to laugh, "You know I can't resist that face!"

Benny began to shake his whole body with excitement as a broad smile crossed his flabby face. Before the cheetah spoke however he looked down at the desk where his cellphone was buzzing with a series of alerts and messages. "Oh this has to be good!" the cheetah exclaimed as he reached down and began to scroll through his alerts. Besides eying the ZPD's main welcoming party Benny enjoyed the title of head of the gossip committee. If something happened at work Benny would be your source of what happened and who did it.

Judy was never one to take part in gossip till she joined the ZPD. She couldn't help but notice how it much a rumor mill the department was. She had come to accept it however and though she would never admit it, she kind of enjoyed it. "Whatcha got?" Judy asked as she hopped up onto the reception desk and tried to peek at Clawhauser's phone.

The video was blurry for a moment but it didn't take long for the camera to focus. Judy instantly recognized the scene. The video had been taken just minutes before from atop the precinct steps. Judy blushed as she watched herself on screen pull Nick into a surprise kiss on the cheek. The images reset and the scene played out again. "Who is that from?!" Judy practically shouted as she leapt at the phone and grabbed it from Clawhauser's paws. "Oh m goodness!" Benny shot back, Judy didn't know if it was from the video or from Judy's sudden phone grab. The little bunny's paws frantically tapped at the screen. The video was coming from multiple sources and the small phone buzzed with more notifications as the video spread through conversations like wildfire. "No no no no no no," Judy begged as if the phone could do anything besides display the video. Judy found the source of the first video and her eye began to twitch.

The gray bunny seemed to be radiating heat as her paws began to shake. Judy looked up and scanned the room and her eyes fell on Tammy. The Cheetah was on the far end of the large atrium and was frozen mid step as she had tried to tiptoe by. "TAMMY!" Judy yelled, her voice echoing throughout the large open room. The cheetah's eyes widened as she slowly looked over at the reception desk, a guilty look on her face. Tammy stood up straight and took in a deep breath as a smile crossed her lips. She then gave Judy a weak smile and waved, "Hi Judy, glad to see your back!" She said weakly, not realizing she still had her phone clutched in her large paws.

Judy slowly handed Clawhauser his phone, the video still playing on screen, never breaking eye contact with the cheetah that stood across the room. Every mammal in the vicinity was silent as they all looked at the two officers. "My monies on the Rabbit," Came a deep voice by the front doors. Judy's leg muscles tensed as her ears lowered, the sight was a complete role reversal from days past. What everyone saw before them was a cheetah who stood in pure shock as a veracious bunny prepared for her attack. With lightning like speed Tammy darted towards a set of double doors that led deeper into the building. Judy leapt from the reception desk with such strength it was amazing the wood didn't shatter. "Tammy get back here!" Judy shouted as she darted after the retreating cheetah.

"Officer needs assistance!" Tammy squealed as she dashed through the halls. A large lion in a business suit had to hug the wall as Tammy bolted by. "What in the?" The lion said as he began to step away from the wall. As the lion turned his eyes widened in surprise as a small gray bunny bolted ion his direction. "Geeze!" The lion said, this time diving for cover, not wanting to interfere with the rabbit who had fire in her eyes.

Tammy led the chase through the halls of the ZPD, giggling with nervous laughter the whole way. The laughter stopped however when she chanced a glance behind her. Judy was mere feet from her prey and was closing the gap quickly. Tammy had never had to worry about speed before, being a cheetah helped her move quickly and outpace most of her fellow officers. Judy hadn't gotten that memo and was not only keeping up, she was about to catch up completely.

"Oh gods!" Tammy yelled, this time more out of fear as she saw one of Judy's reach out and try to grab Tammy's tail.

"Get back here you spotted bitch!" Judy said, the insult didn't sting much, it was obvious just in fun, and at least that's what Tammy hoped. "AH! No be merciful!" Tammy squealed as she turned another corner and darted towards the women's locker room. "Safe at base safe at base!" The cheetah cheered as she drove through the doors. Tammy stopped and began to catch her breath, a wave of relief washing over her. Judy would never enter…the...women's…locker…oh shit. Tammy turned around nervously to see Judy kick open the large wooden door as if it were cardboard. The small bunny stomped into the locker room and towards her prey. Tammy raised her arms in front of her chest and waved them slightly, "Easy Judy…It was just for fun! Besides it was so cute!" The cheetah winced as she realized she had used the "C" word.

"You know what else is cute Tammy," Judy said through gritted teeth as her eye twitched, her ears were standing up straight at this point. The look of doom in Judy's eyes told Tammy that this was not gonna be good, "Bubbles, bubbles are very cute."

Tammy had been backing up the whole time and only then did she realize she was standing in the shower part of the locker room. "Oh no, please! I just got this uniform back from the cleaners!" Tammy began to beg, "And I got my fur just right! Please don't!" Tammy begged as Judy reached over to a small cabinet and produced a bar of soap. "But Tammy, I think I see a spot on you!" Judy teased, her teeth gritted as she gave the poor cheetah an evil grin.

A few minutes later in the bullpen the atmosphere was full of energy as officers prepared for the daily briefing. A few cellphones were still out, a familiar video playing across the screens. "Attention!" The hippo at the front of the room barked as Chief Bogo stormed into the room. The water buffalo was met by the usual stomps and howls from his team. He would never tell them but this old tradition was better than a morning coffee. Bogo stopped just behind the podium and put his glasses on as he prepared his briefing papers. He then looked up and began to bark out his normal greeting, "Alright, alright! Shut it!" He then scanned the room with piercing eyes which widened as they fell on a soaked looking cheetah that was covered in bright pink bubbles who was sitting casually at one of the desks in the bull pen. "Morning sir!" Tammy said with a smile as if nothing was a miss. Bogo was at a loss for words. He was considered to be fairly lenient on his officers when it came to their apparel. In his mind uniforms didn't need to match just work. If an officer wanted a vest over a button up shirt, fine. If they wanted to wear knee pads, ok. If they wanted to dress up in their finniest uniform every day, alright. Tammy's appearance though was a little much. "Officer Thompson, is there a reason for the sudden, uniform addition?" Bogo asked with a bit of twitch.

"No sir, apparently I had a spot on me, just making sure I got it," Tammy said casually with a smile. Bogo shook his head as he looked around the room, ready to lay into the poor cheetah. His eyes fell on Judy though, who was equally soaked as Tammy. Judy however seemed to be devoid of bubbles but Bogo began to put two and two together. Without moving his head his eyes went from Judy and then back to Tammy. A look of understanding on his large dark face. This was apparently something between the two females and Bogo had learned a long time ago to never get between two warring females. As long as this wasn't Tammy be insubordinate Bogo didn't care.

"Alright, I have a few things on the docket," The buffalo began as he opened the folder on the podium before him. As the buffalo began the morning briefing Judy looked back at Tammy with a smirk. Even covered in bubbles the cheetah smiled back and winked at the bunny. "It's good to be back," Judy thought as she looked back at Bogo.

* * *

 **Hey everyone. So I am gonna try a new format when it comes to labeling chapters. Since the Halloween Special has kinda thrown things out of whack. Still glad I wrote it though!**

 **I will do my best to keep things in order for everyone!**

 **As always reviews are appreciated!**

 **-Blue**


	22. Armed and Dangerous

Chapter 21: Armed and Dangerous

Judy had been back at the ZPD for no more than an hour and already she was starting to feel like she should have taken more time off. The daily briefing had been just that, brief. In the short amount of time however Judy learned that the department had been going through some serious changes and in this case change was not exactly a good thing. Apparently there had been no reported attacks since the night of the crash that had put both Judy and Nick in the hospital. Amazingly things had actually been somewhat quiet, well as quiet as a major police station in the largest city in the world could be. There had been a string of robberies that was being looked into. Some major construction projects that would need traffic detail. Apparently there had been new reports of a street racer causing trouble out in the desert districts. Judy made a mental note to send Nick to check in on Flash soon.

The biggest news however was the one that caused a knot to form in Judy's stomach. Thanks to a mandate by city hall the ZPD would be requiring all officers to be armed once more. Apparently when this had first been announced a great deal of officers had voiced their concerns about going down that route. They had all had a week however to adjust, Judy had not. Normally it was optional for officers to arm themselves as they saw fit. Of course there was a few tactical response teams throughout the city that were always heavily armed. For the most part though a lot of officers found lugging around weapons to be a burden. All ZPD vehicles were outfitted with weapon storage and were armored to take the heat. This all changed though the day after the car crash. Apparently someone in the Zootopia council panicked and decided it was time for the ZPD to show more strength. Weapons were no longer an option, they were a requirement.

When the short briefing was completed Judy found herself sitting in the bullpen alone with Bogo. All the other officers had been giving assignments. Tammy's assignment involved getting a new uniform and then reporting for a protest protection detail. The cheetah had managed to leave a trail of bubbles when she had left the room.

"So how are you feeling Hopps?" Bogo asked as he walked around the podium and grabbed a chair so he could sit across from Judy. Judy had just spoken to Bogo the day before to ensure she was cleared to return to duty, so it was obvious there was going to be more to this conversation than just the topic of her health.

"Was feeling pretty good, till I learned we were being armed again," Judy said firmly, not hiding the fact she was not a fan of the new policy.

"Hopps, you are a police officer, you were trained with weapons at the academy," Bogo explained, it was obvious from his tone he had been using these same lines throughout the week, "And you are expected to protect the public, even if it means you are armed while doing it!"

"We have always been armed sir!" Judy shot back.

"Last time I check my officers don't drive through apartment buildings while doing safety sweeps," Bogo explained. "Just because you have it sitting in the trunk doesn't mean it will come to your rescue if you come across a mammal infected with Night howler."

"So we are just supposed to shoot first and ask questions later? Even on someone who has no control?!" Judy sounded shock at the mere idea.

"Yes," Bogo said simply as he crossed his arms, "Hopps we can't live in some fantasy world where everyone gets along. Especially here at the ZPD. We are charged with the protection of every mammal in Zootopia. Which means if we must take measures like this to protect the public then we will do just that!"

"This isn't what I signed up for sir," Judy said, she could no longer look at the water buffalo. She couldn't explain why but she felt betrayed. Though the chief and her had had a rough start she thought he had changed. Now though to hear him give an order like this. She couldn't direct all the anger at him however because deep down she knew he was right. She had sworn an oath to protect the citizens of this city. She had given up her own rights to make a choice in this matter the day she put on the badge. Judy felt like a foolish child to think that this day would never come. She had trained with different weapons at the academy and had actually received some of the top scores at the range.

"I know Hopps, none of us here like the idea, but we have to do what's best for the city," Bogo said coldly as he slowly stood up from his chair, "Report to the armory for your equipment then meet with Officer McHorn, he has been given free rein of the conference rooms on the 3rd floor, he will fill you in on what has been going on with the Night howler case during your absence."

Before the buffalo exited the bullpen he turned to take one last glance at the disappointed looking bunny, "Swing by my office before you head home tonight Hopps." Before Judy could say anything though Bogo was out the door.

Judy raised an eyebrow to the last comment but didn't think much of it. She remained in her seat for a few minutes lost in thought. The day had just begun and already she had been thrown through a loop. Judy was also stalling a little knowing full well where her next stop would be. The armory where most likely a very angry wolf would be waiting for her.

Judy decided it was best to just face Ty sooner rather than later. It didn't take very long to reach the large double doors that would open to the armory reception area. Judy had hoped it would take at least an hour or two, but sadly the armory was only a minutes' walk from the bullpen. The bunny stood outside of the large doors and just stared at them for a minute or two. Her mind processing possible outcomes and ways to fend off the wolf.

'Maybe he won't be mad? After all that vest was designed to protect you!' Her inner voice tried to reassure her.

"He put so much effort into though, it was probably a long project and I managed to destroy it in a day!" She answered her voice out loud. She quickly looked around with a worried look. Fortunately the hall was fairly empty and the few mammals in the area were engrossed with their own tasks.

'Come on, I bet he deals with that stuff all the time! Besides maybe it will give him ideas for new vests!'

Judy took a deep breath as if she was about to dive into a shark infested pool and pushed the doors open and dove in. Much to the bunny's relief Ty was not at the window. Instead a stern looking otter was sitting at the counter with a laptop opened the sound of steady typing filling the room. At the sound of the doors opening the otter looked up and Judy gave him a kind wave. "Hi Matt!" Judy said as she approached the otter and gave him a weak smile. "Officer Hopps, welcome back! Glad to see you have fully recovered!" The otter said as he gave the approaching rabbit a no. Matt was one of the many support staff mammals throughout the ZPD, he had never actually been an officer but still knew a great deal about maintaining the equipment that the officers needed to complete their jobs. He had apparently been scooped up by Ty when the old wolf found out the otter had a knack for tinkering. The two could normally be seen shouting at each other and calling one another names. When Judy had first seen the two shouting at each other she almost stepped in, the officer side of her wanting to break up the fight. She had realized though that this was just friendly banter and the two actually worked quite well together.

"Thanks Matt, glad to be back," Judy said as she moved a chair over to the counter so she could be at the otter's eye level. She felt a pang of regret however as she knew she was lying to the otter. Judy was glad to be back, but also felt regret as to why she was currently in that room. At least she wasn't having to face Ty just yet, she could get her gear and find time to face Ty with a proper apology later.

"So what can I do for you?" Matt asked as he closed the laptop and slid it to one side of the counter.

"Well I need a new vest, the last one I had was destroyed in the crash," Judy said, still feeling slightly embarrassed to be asking. "Also, I guess I need to be armed, Bogos orders, so I need a gun. What caliber are they clearing us to use?"

Even though Judy was completely against weapons she had resolved herself to the fact there was no way around it. She just hopped she could carry a smaller caliber. She had trained with most of the standards but as the caliber went up it felt like she was firing a cannon. A memory at the academy flashed in her mind. While at the range the instructor had to take special caution for Judy and stood behind her during the first few days, and not just a few feet, but exactly behind her so she was actually leaning against his leg. They had learned from the first few rounds that occasionally the recoil would actually send the small bunny flying.

"Caliber? That crash knock that big brain of yours around? Didn't think you would be one for packing a hand cannon!" Came a gruff voice from behind one of the armory shelves. Judy was glad that Matt had turned around to look at Ty, she couldn't help but wince at the sound of his voice. The wolf came hobbling into view and looked at Judy. "Let me guess, Bogo tricked you too?" Ty asked with a bit of a smirk.

"Oh hi Ty, didn't see you there!" Judy said with a weak smile, trying to maintain her composure. "Tricked?"

"Matt do me a favor, go get a class R vest for the crash dummy here and I will walk her through the new equipment," Ty requested. The otter nodded and hopped from the stool he had been standing on and quickly hurried out of view behind the rows and rows of shelves.

"So how ya feeling Judy?" Ty asked as he placed a black case on the counter and began to mess with the latches.

"Better," She said sheepishly. She had trouble making eye contact with the wolf and was looking at the counter. Ty took notice and slowly leaned down so he could look her in the eyes. "What's up with you?" The wolf asked, he stopped what he was doing and gave the bunny his full attention.

"I just feel really bad Ty, they had to throw away that vest you worked so hard on! It got burned in the crash and torn up! By the time I came round I found out it had been thrown out!" She blurted out quickly, the words shooting from her lips in a rapid pace. "I am so sorry Ty, I will do my best to take care of my old vest!"

At this moment Matt had returned and placed a new tactical vest on the counter. Judy's purple eyes looked at the vest and widened in a pleasant shock. The vest was the exact same as the one that had been destroyed. The large white words had been replaced however to read "ZPD". A large purple bow was stuck to the top.

"Ty! It's my vest! How did you do this? I mean how did you fix it?" Judy said as she grabbed the new vest and hugged it as if it were a stuffed animal.

Both Ty and Matt were chuckling at this point. "Judy do you really think so little of me?" Ty asked as Judy looked back at him, tears beginning to form in her wide eyes. "So the vest got destroyed, but every burn that it had was one less that you got. Every tear and scratch was one less you had to face. The way I see it I am glad it got destroyed if it meant you got to walk away," The wolf explained in a gruff but caring voice.

"Oh geeze, I think I am gonna go find a helmet to throw up in," Matt muttered as he rolled his eyes and excused himself, strolling back down the aisles, making gagging sounds.

"Oh Ty!" Judy let the tears roll down her cheek as she put the vest down and climbed up on the counter towards the wolf.

"Oh come on now, I thought I already filled my hug quota!" Ty said as he tried to escape the bunny's grasp. It was no use as Judy jumped the wolf and wrapped her arms around him. She could feel Ty tensing up at the sudden affection and she nuzzled him gently. "Alright alright, geeze you are a hugger aren't you?" Ty said as he patted Judy gently on the back.

Judy released the wolf from her grasp and slowly stepped back so she could stand on the chair by the counter. She took a moment to wipe the tears from her eyes and then reached down and picked up her new vest. As she equipped the new protective apparel Ty was busy unlatching the case he had brought to the counter earlier. Judy eyed the black box apprehensively, wondering what kind of massive cannon of a weapon he was about to force on her.

"Alright, so before we go any further a few ground rules," Ty said as he finished with the latches and looked up at the worried looking bunny, "I trust you to be safe Judy but it's still important to remember the ground rules. Only point this in a direction you intend to fire at. This is not a flashlight, you aim it at things you want to stop. Treat it with respect and it will work for you just fine. Finally practice makes perfect, sometime today you need to hit up the range and test it out, They have extra darts downstairs for you to test out but for now I have your first set of issued darts."

"Darts?" Judy asked as she looked from the box and then back to Ty in confusion, one of her ears drooping slightly.

Without saying anything Ty opened the case and turned it so Judy could see the contents. Inside was an odd looking gun. Judy suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over her as she scanned the "weapon". She hadn't seen one of these in quite some time. Resting in the case was a specially modified tranquilizer gun. The handle was a dark navy while the barrel was white with a series of orange stripes. She had remembered that previous models had a large dart with green feathers sitting on top. The dart was absent however. "Bogo pulled one over on city hall," Ty began to explain as he scooped up the dart dun and placed it on the counter along with two magazines. "They told him to arm everyone, they just didn't say with what."

Judy was grinning from ear to ear at this point, "Buffalo butt," she muttered to herself, using Nick's iconic nickname of the chief. She felt like she could chase down her boss and hug him, he would probably suspend her but she felt like it would be worth it.

"What we have here is the TranqTank 3," Ty began to explain as he showed off the features of Judy's new tool, "The number designates the size not the year it came out mind you. They actually make two smaller sizes but I felt this one would be just the right size for you. I am sure you notice it doesn't have that silly looking dart on top anymore, they have streamlined the system and use smaller darts that can be stored in a magazine. 6 rounds per magazine. Standard carrying magazine count is 3, one in the tranqtank while two on your belt, speaking of which…"

Ty reached into the case and placed a holster on the counter along with a mag pouch. Both of which had a series of Velcro straps. "So you have an option when it comes to that, I can get you a holster for your belt or you can try these bad boys on your thighs!" Ty pulled the Velcro apart and nodded at the bunny. Judy took the holster and began to awkwardly try to wrap it around her muscular legs. She had difficulty however as she couldn't get the right angle and had never used this kind of equipment before. "No, not like that…other way, facing out…no…arg," Ty said as he tried to explain and was doing his best to give Judy tips. "Fuck it, hold on," The wolf finally said in defeat as he walked away from the counter and towards a large metal door. "Matt I am leaving the secure zone for a sec!" Ty shouted to his partner somewhere in the armory. "10-4!" The otter shout back, his voice muffled.

There was a buzzing noise as Ty deactivated the locking mechanism on the door and then came out so he could help Judy. The wolf had a slight limp that was more noticeable when there was no counter between him. He wore an old set of BDUs normally reserved for active tactical units, all of them respected Ty for his service too much though and no one bothered to correct him in his choice of apparel. The top part of his uniform was untuck, which was standard for units to do when not geared up, even though he was no longer an activate officer he still had a fit frame and looked like he could easily hold his own in a fight.

"Alright let me show you," Ty said as he took the holster from Judy and kneeled down in front of her. Even with Judy standing on the chair the wolf had to take a knee so he would be the proper level, "Now I don't want any calls from HR about feeling you up alright!" Ty said gruffly with a smile. Judy blushed at the words. Maybe it was the fact she found herself attracted to Nick but the thought of the strong wolf in a romantic capacity crossed her mind suddenly, she didn't mind the thoughts actually. Ty would probably be a lot of fun. Wait, no that was wrong, besides she had Nick, kind of.

'Maybe you're just into canines?' Her inner voice suggested as Judy looked down at Ty, biting her lower lip with a slight arousal.

Ty looped the holster so it was on her right thigh and faced out. He then pulled the straps tight and began to secure the straps to the Velcro. "Too tight?" Ty asked as he looked up at Judy, it was obvious that this whole situation was awkward to Ty but he did his best to keep it professional. "Just right!" Judy exclaimed as she flexed her muscles to make sure the straps wouldn't give. Ty studied her as he did this and just chuckled, "Damn Judy, you may not need tranqs, just a firm hit from that leg would probably knock most perps out!" Ty complimented Judy. This was one of the reasons she liked Ty, here she was a slender rabbit showing off her legs and all he could think about was the tactical use for it all, she wondered if carnal thoughts ever entered his mind. Ty took a moment to place the mag pouch on her other leg, he had to adjust the straps a few times however since the straps were actually a size to big.

When the wolf was done he took a step back and admired his handy work. "You are quite a site now Hopps!" Ty said with a nod of approval. Judy looked around the room, wishing they had a mirror but sadly there wasn't one in sight. "Sorry Hopps but you will just have to hit the locker room if you want to check yourself out." Ty muttered as he shook his head. Judy let out a defeated sigh and just smirked at the wolf in front of her. "Thanks again Ty, for all of this! I will admit I was kind of worried about swinging by, what with destroying the vest you made for me and also picking up a weapon."

"No worries Hopps, you should never worry about swinging by to see us here, I enjoy the company, besides if you break something it just means I need to find a new way to Judy proof it," Ty explained as he strolled back towards the metal door. "Matt I'm coming back in!" Ty explained as he slid his ID card in a reader next to the door. There was a familiar buzzing and Ty slid back onto the other side of the armory.

As the wolf walked back up on the other side of the counter Judy gingerly picked up the tranquilizer gun. It had some weight to it, but was nearly as heavy as Judy thought it would be. "They used a new lighter material for it since it doesn't need to withstand the heat of a bullet going off. It does however require an air cartridge, don't eject the magazine unless you intent to completely spend the air cartridge inside. Once the magazine is slammed in it activates and has just enough air to propel the darts in the magazine."

Judy had to admit it was a very impressive device and was happy to know that if she did have to use it there would be no lasting damage to her target, just a nice long nap. A thought popped into her mind about the actual darts and she looked up from the gun in her paws, "what's the dosage? How many darts are needed to knock out the average suspect?" she asked as she slid the new tool into its holster located on her right calf.

Ty began to chuckle at the question. Judy felt a little hurt, she didn't think it was a dumb question, apparently this thought showed on her face and Ty just sighed, "Sorry about that Judy, as it turns out 1 round is enough for an otter!" Ty raised his voice at the last bit as he did his best to contain his laughter, "Right Matt? Or were you still awake after the miss fire?" The wolf looked over his shoulder at this point and waited for a response from his Coworker.

"Shut your damn mouth you old gimp!" Came Matt's muffled voice from deep in the armory, a sound of annoyance in the otter's tone.

Ty looked back at Judy with an amused look, "let's just say Matt found out the hard way how sensitive the trigger was when we were first handing these things out."

Judy let out a quiet giggle at the thought of the poor otter laying on the floor, a pure of drool forming near his mouth.

"To better answer your question it goes up with every dart. Average recommended amount is 1 for mammals like you and Matt. Probably would need 1 for a wolf or fox as well. 3 for me of course because I'm so thick skinned!" Ty winked at the last part. "The larger mammals may need up to 3 or 4. Finally if you find yourself on the wrong end of Francine you are gonna have to use the whole mag and then reload and prepare for more. These darts are good but they had to dilute them a little so there wouldn't be risk of overdose effect, so an elephant may take some extra darts. Good news is its fast acting so you can judge pretty quickly how many you will need!"

Judy's head was spinning at all the new information as she did her best to process it all. An evil thought popped into her mind and she had a feeling Ty would appreciate it. "Say I accidently dart a certain fox for some dumb joke, how much peace and quiet can I expect?" Ty roared with laughter at the question and had to take a moment. "Depends how bad the joke is and how many you use. I'm thinking about 30 minutes though." Judy gave an impressed look as she looked down at the small dart gun now snug in its holster.

"Good to know, thanks Ty!" Judy said as she looked back at the wolf with an appreciative smile. "Seriously thank you for everything"

The wolf nodded kindly and gave Judy a warm smile. With that Judy hopped down from the chair and strolled out of the armory. She had a great deal of confidence flowing through her now. She had a new vest, she was rocking a new Tranq gun, and she was getting back into the swing of things. She decided it was time to go check in with officer McHorn on how the case was going. In Judy and Nick's absence the case had been handed over to another team that we led by the more senior officer. She had emailed all of her notes on the case and had offered any help she could. He had emailed her back right away, thanking her for the notes but also commenting on how he would update her when she finally returned to work. It wasn't a power move though, he had explained that she needed to rest and not stress about work. As much as she wanted to stay continually up to date on the case she respected her fellow officer's suggestion and had been in the dark about the going on of the case.

As Judy strolled towards a bank of elevators that would take her up to the conference rooms she whipped out her phone and began to type out a message.

"Hi! :D"

"zzzzzzzzz" Judy giggled at the fox's response.

"Wake up!"

"zzzzzz…no..zzzzz"

"Lazy fox!"

"Kissy bunny" The message caused Judy's cheeks to go bright red.

"You afraid you caught the cooties?"

"No, but my phone has been blowing up all morning! How is a fox supposed to recover with all these messages constantly popping up?"

"You could always turn off your phone!" Judy suggested as the elevator doors opened up and she stepped inside. She had to jump up in order to hit her floors number, as she landed on the carpeted floor she felt another message buzz on her phone.

"You know I can't do that, just in case a certain someone needed me ;)"

"Awww, you're gross! xD We have missed a lot at work! I will fill you in later! You should get some rest!"

"Don't have to tell me twice, I'll text ya later! Have fun at school carrots!"

"Sleep tight lazy bones!"

With that Judy put her phone away and strode out of the elevator and towards a series of cubicles. It was time to see what progress had been made on the case. She still felt weird walking the halls without her partner at her side, making some cheesy joke or one liner. However she felt somewhat excited to get back into the swing of things. Little did the bunny know just how odd this whole case was about to get.

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **Thank you for your patience on this last chapter. Its been a busy week so it took a little while to complete this chapter.**

 **Thanks again for all the support!**

 **Keep those reviews coming!**

 **-Blue**


	23. Blast from the Past

Blast from the past.

Judy walked into a large conference room that had been dedicated to the Night Howler case. The walls were covered in maps of the districts of Zootopia with small sticky notes placed at certain spots. There was a series of pins of different colors spread across the largest map which had a satellite image of all of Zootopia. There were a few open boxes with files pouring out and a handful of evidence bags placed neatly on a side table. The center table was covered in different pieces of paper that had pictures, facts, and different notes scribbled across them. Judy was in a form of stupor as she looked around at the chaos in the room. How could this all be for the Night Howler case? Technically there were two cases; the one that Nick and Judy solved was closed and then there was this new active one, but it didn't warrant this much information. Judy deduced that something else was a foot here and she was eager to find out what.

Officers McHorn and Wolfard were sitting at the edge of the table chatting while a female impala with large red glasses was typing away at a laptop casually. Judy didn't recognize the impala, with so many officers, detectives, clerks, and other staff members in the building it was sometimes hard to keep up with all the new faces. Wolfard's nose began to twitch and he looked over at Judy, the gray wolf raised his coffee mug in greeting, "Hopps! Welcome to the party!" He said as he took a sip from the mug. Judy had never actually worked with the wolf but had talked to him on occasion. He and McHorn were normally assigned together on cases. While McHorn was sometimes stern and somewhat distant Wolfard would be friendly and personable, they made a good cop bad cop duo when the need arose.

"Morning Tim!" Judy shot back and gave a quick salute. As Judy came to the end of the table the impala looked up and Judy gave her a warm smile. "I'm Judy, nice to meet you!" The bunny said as she stretched out an open paw. The impala sat up a little straighter and returned the warm smile with one of her own as she took Judy's hand she introduced herself, "Detective Amanda Dole; Special Crimes Unit. Call me Amanda! Nice to meet you Judy. Bogo sent me to make sure these two didn't start building airplanes and forts out of my files!" The impala said as she nodded over at the other two officers who both began to chuckle. "It would have been an awesome fort too! Fort Kickass!" Wolfard said as he looked around at all the files. McHorn gave Judy a nod as she strode around the table. He held out his fist and she returned the gesture with a little fist bump. This had become somewhat of a forced ritual. Judy had met McHorn on her first day and he had been somewhat cold. The rhino had seen a lot of officers come and go so it took time for him to warm up to anyone. Judy had been so bouncy and bubbly when she first arrived McHorn wanted to avoid her all together, but after the courage she had shown during her first case he had decided to give her another chance. He still sounded stern but there was the occasional softness in his voice when talking to Judy.

Judy became slightly nervous at Amanda's presence. Not to question anything of her character, but the fact of where she was from. The special crimes unit had their paws in several high profile cases along with ones that had been either unsolved for decades or needed some extra focus. Judy had a feeling her work load was about to increase.

"More like fort ruin my records!" Amanda shot back at the wolf sitting next to her. "Let's not forget this stuff belongs to me, no ruining it just because you are bored!"

"We don't recognize your authority in fort kickass," Wolfard muttered as he took another sip from his coffee. This earned him a little flick on the ear from the impala next to him. The wolf nearly spat out his coffee as he rubbed his ear and gave Amanda a dirty look. To the impala's credit she stared right back and gave the wolf a look that just screamed "Try it and see what happens!" Judy really liked Amanda and felt glad to have her in the room to help babysit.

"So what have I missed?" Judy asked as she took a seat next to McHorn. The two other officers looked at one another and then over at Amanda. The impala was busy typing at her laptop once more and it took her a second to realize all the eyes on the room were on her. Her typing slowed and then came to a stop, "What? Oh come on guys, really?"

"You know how to use the paw point!" McHorn mumbled as he reached over and picked up his own coffee mug, swirling the contents before downing the brown liquid within. It was obvious he was trying to avoid the detectives gaze.

Amanda shook her head and let out a sigh as she began to type a few commands into the laptop. The lights in the room dimmed slightly as a large screen lowered from the ceiling. "Oooooo ahhhh!" Wolford said excitedly. "This is why we get the big conference room!" Amanda said jokingly as the screen was filled with an ocean of blue from the projector hanging from the ceiling as it booted up.

The screen suddenly filled with a clone of what Judy assumed was Amanda's laptop screen. A work folder was open and a series of documents and images sat in neat rows. "So it would appear you have managed to stumble upon quite the case here Judy," Amanda began to explain as she looked across the conference table at the bunny. "I have gone over the information you have gathered and filled in a few gaps. I am not gonna waste our time on the science behind the new night howlers, it involves big words and the boys here still can't get their heads around them."

"Oi! I resemble such remarks!" Wolfard teased as he gave McHorn a wink, causing the rhino to chuckle.

"Anyways. Let's cover what you have missed." Amanda continued, trying to ignore the other officers and focus on the files. "The night of your car crash you and about half the ZPD were responding to a call at the Tundra Town Mall. The victim was a female jaguar and her friend, the original call was for a lioness but of course you understand how panic causes misinformation." As the detective spoke several images of a jaguar filled the screen. Some were of pictures taken at the crime scene. Judy felt uneasy as she noticed a few streaks of crimson smeared on the ground near the predator. One of the images appeared to be a video which Amanda clicked on.

The video had no audio and was obviously from a security camera at the mall. The jaguar could be seen walking through the busy mall, chatting with a small sheep that was keeping pace. The two seemed to be laughing as they passed a large display at a well-known lingerie store. The sheep pointed at a mannequin in the shape of a large feline and started to laugh harder. "There were at least 4 different angles from different cameras, this one was the best, however whoever planned this must have done their homework." Amanda muttered, sounding disappointed. Judy looked over at the impala with some confusion and then back at the video. Everything became clear though when the jaguar suddenly grabbed the top of her head and winced in pain. "They attacked from above, we later found a ventilation shaft had been tampered with and had a perfect angle of the crime scene."

Judy felt her heart begin to beat faster as she watched the scene unfold. "We can skip this part if you like, not much more when it comes to the case." Amanda offered, seeing Judy's panicked expression. "No, it has everything to do with the case…"Judy let out in a defeated whisper as she watched the jaguar begin to contort and spasm. Judy wanted to yell at the sheep on the screen to run or hide. It wouldn't do any good though so Judy remained silent. The sheep on the screen slowly approached her friend as the jaguar suddenly fell on all fours. Several other mammals could be seen approaching the scene hesitantly. A large elephant appeared on screen and rushed over to offer assistance. Before anyone could react the jaguar lashed out at her friend and a streak of red could be seen spraying on the ground. The sheep was obviously yelling in pain as her friend tried to lunge at her, however the large elephant jumped into action and grabbed the predator. A struggle ensued as the larger mammal tried to control the savage predator that began claw and bite its way out of the elephants strong grip. The scene lasted only 45 seconds.

Judy was shaking her head as she noticed the jaguar begin to seize up and then slowly relax. It suddenly dawned on the bunny that the night howlers were wearing off at this point and the jaguar was returning to normal. The poor predator could be seen looking around in a confused state. When her gaze fell on her wounded friend the jaguar's mouth widened and it was obvious that she was screaming as she tried to reach out to her friend who was lying in a heap on the ground nearby, a crimson pool forming around the motionless victim. A polar bear nearby ran over to the wounded sheep and did their best to treat the poor animal. The video stopped at this point. Judy was glad it did, she hadn't realized but she was shaking from the new information and needed a moment to collect herself.

"We have watched that video over 20 times, still can't get used to it," Wolfard muttered sadly as he looked away from the screen.

"It is rough, but you should know that Ms. Pipe is still alive, though in critical condition, she has survived this long and the doctors are hopeful she will wake up soon," Amanda said as she adjusted her glasses slightly.

"We could have stopped this…"Judy began to mutter, "If Nick and I had just been a little faster we…"

She didn't get to finish her sentence though as she felt a large hoof on her shoulder. She looked over at McHorn who shook his head, "Never think like that, it will cloud your mind, stay focus Hopps."

Judy nodded. The rhino was right after all. What more could Judy and Nick have done. They had already gathered what information they could have and by the time they received the call on the night of the crash the attack had already happened. Judy reminded herself not to dwell on all this and stay focused on catching up with the case.

"Now here comes the interesting part," Amanda said as she closed the video file and opened up another file. A familiar image filled the screen. It was the letter that Judy had received at the hospital. "So one of the reasons mammals used to use letters like this was to deliver a message without using any form of signature or writing style that may reveal who they are. It has long since been abandoned in this more digital age. However it would appear that the mammal behind these new string of attacks is a bit of a romantic."

The image suddenly changed to a light purple as a series of what looked like prints appeared on each letter that had been glued to the paper. Judy's heart skipped a beat, they had prints! That means they could trace whoever caused this and hunt them down. However from the looks of the fellow officers in the room she had a feeling that this may be easier said than done. "Now as you can see the mammal responsible for creating the letter left some evidence. At first we thought this was an accident on their part. However when we went through our database we came up with nothing. Absolutely no match. What's worse is the computer couldn't even identify what kind of prints they were. We know it's a pawed mammal but the prints are incomplete in such a manner we can't tell how large they are or what species. Whoever did this, did it on purpose." As Amanda spoke she clicked through several images. One was a screenshot from a ZPD computer which had large red letters across the prints reading "NO MATCH FOUND".

"What about the envelope itself! It was sealed! Maybe with saliva!" Judy shot out, suddenly sitting up in her seat.

The two male officers looked at one another and then back to Amanda. Judy could tell this was not a new idea to them. "They did try that actually, which was why I was brought in." The impala explained as she closed the images of the letter. "What they found was not good actually. The reason I am here is because I am part of a team that deals with unsolved cases. What you have all managed to stumble on is big, really big."

"Way to go Judy!" Wolfard teased. Judy looked over at the wolf who gave her a playful wink and she was suddenly reminded of Nick. She wished he was here with her right now. He could help her clear her mind and focus on the case. She had the sudden urge to whip out her phone and start texting him.

"You see Judy a few years ago there was a huge crime wave in the city. Not many mammals are aware but Zootopia was on the brink of disaster. Some criminal mastermind had been orchestrating a series of different crimes," As Amanda spoke she opened a series of old news files. There was videos, pictures, articles. All of them written in the same tone, panic. "Arson, burglary, grand Larson, counterfeiting, destruction of property, we believe they even organized a few riots! It was utter chaos and the ZPD did its best to keep everything under control. It wasn't until later that we all realized this was being done by the same mammal."

Judy's eyes scanned the screen as more images began to scroll across it. There had to be dozens of articles about different crimes. Images of burning buildings, car crashes, mammals throwing rocks and bottles, and finally an image that made her gasp.

The image of a smiling cheetah in a ZPD uniform filled the front page of an old Zootopia Sentinel paper. "Hero Cop killed in the line of duty". Judy's mouth was agape as she began to read the article. She then noticed how silent the room had become. She looked over across the table. Amanda was looking up at the screen, pure sadness in her eyes. Wolfard was looking down, his ears drooping. McHorn did his best but a tear managed to escape and roll down his cheek. Judy then turned back to the article that filed the screen, a few line in particular caught her attention. "Officer Hank Tops of the ZPD was killed in the line of duty late last night during a daring raid against a suspect believed to be the arsonist that was responsible for over 6 major fires throughout Zootopia. His partner, Officer Irdis Bogo, was gravely injured but is expected to make a full recovery. A member of the ZPD tactical response team was also injured when the building they attempted to storm exploded. It is believed that the arsonist responsible was killed in the blast."

"Bogo?" Judy asked as she looked over at Amanda.

The impala gave a sad nod as she looked up at the smiling cheetah. "Bogo says that officer Tops threw him out of the building just before the blast. He used his last moments on this earth to protect his partner. He apparently didn't even hesitate."

There wasn't a dry eye in the room at this point and none of them even tried to hide that fact. The loss of an officer is not just felt by the loved ones they have left at home. But by all members of the law enforcement family. Even officers that had not had the honor of meeting the lost hero would feel it. It was on those days the world would be at its darkest. It was on those days though that officers showed their true colors. Through all the heartbreak and lost they would still put on their uniforms and return to keep the peace.

Judy took a moment to clear her mind and straighten herself up. She did her best but images flashed in her mind of officers standing in their dress uniforms. Their heads lowered as they saluted a casket with the ZPD flag draped across. She managed to banish the rest of the thoughts and focused back on her fellow mammals in the room. "So you think the one responsible is back?" Judy asked, not just to confirm her suspicions, but also to get the rest of the team back on track.

Amanda took a deep breath and nodded, "Yes, sorry officer, you see the mastermind behind all of that had a flair for the dramatic. They would leave clues and taunt the officers in charge of the case. At one point they sent a letter very similar to the one you received. Once again there was only fragmented prints but DNA was found on the envelope itself. Unfortunately we have no one on file that matches with the DNA sample. We were able to match what we could gather from the letter you received to the letters we have received in the past. We thought that they had been killed in the blast several years ago because the crimes that matched their style seemed to have had stopped. However when you received this letter it became apparent that they have just been lying in wait."

At this point Amanda brought a large map of Zootopia on screen. "Which brings us to this. If what we believe is true and this individual is the same one responsible for the crimes long ago then we can map out what they have done." With a few clicks the map filled with various dots of different colors. "As you can see whoever was responsible was a busy little bee. Over 30 crimes that can be linked. Plus if it is the same person as before then we can add two more to their list" At that two small purple dots appeared on screen. One in Sahara Square and another in Tundra Town.

"Gotta admit, that is kind of impressive," Wolfard muttered as he took in the map. Judy had to agree with the wolf. This many crimes committed and the one responsible could still be at large? The idea made her shiver nervously.

"Yeah, impressive..." Amanda said as she shook her head, "Plus on top of all of that we have no new leads!" At this the impala rested her head in defeat on her keyboard.

"What about the new night howler serum? Have you had a chance to talk to our expert on the medical equipment needed to produce the stuff?" Judy asked as she looked over at McHorn. "You mean that Mr. Long guy?" The rhino asked as he raised a large eyebrow.

"Yeah, he was approached, but he is super scared of cops!" Wolfard piped in as he gave Judy a weak shrug, "He wouldn't give us any information and we are coming up short on people with that kind of background."

'If only we knew someone who knew everyone!' Her inner voice hinted. A smirk began to cross Judy's lips as she began to think of her partner.

"I may know someone who may be able to get some information from Mel," Judy began to say confidently, "Just gotta see if he is ok coming in during his vacation."

"Who Nick?" Wolfard began as he said up straighter in his seat.

"If he can help us with Mr. Long then even I will give him a kiss!" Amanda teased. Before Judy could shoot back a response the impala pressed a few buttons on her keyboard. The map of Zootopia disappeared and was replaced with a giant video of Judy and Nick.

"Oh come on guys!" Judy shouted as the video played on a loop. The image of Judy pulling Nick down and planting a kiss on his cheek played over and over. Laughter began to fill the conference room as the mammals took a moment to watch the scene play over again and again.

"Hate all of you…."Judy muttered playfully as she pulled out her phone and opened her messaging app.

"Hey there Mr. I know everybody, got a second?" Judy's small paws typed out on her phone. Just before she hit send however she looked up at the video as the bunny in the video planted another kiss on Nick. Judy let out a small grin and added a small smooching emoji before she pressed a green button and sent the message.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Just a few announcements**

 **To the shippers: Please be patient with me! I know we all want to see a certain couple together but these things take time. Besides its important to develop some kind of story right? Ain't just about the mushy stuffs. Though that is kinda fun and their is gonna be some interesting stuff ahead!**

 **I am currently in talks with someone to become my editor for this story. I know that this thing is riddled with grammatical errors and the likes. I am working on getting that resolved. Every other PM I have right now is about grammar! I know. I am sorry. I am working on it!**

 **Thank you all for your patience.**

 **Also winner of the Nick Wilde Joke competition goes to Floreloyx. Flash would be laughing his butt off slowly over the next 5 minutes.**


	24. Lunch Break

Lunch break

After what felt like hours the team had finally managed to bring Judy up to speed on all the current findings. In that time Judy had learned a great deal about what had happened in Zootopia before her arrival. As it turned out the missing mammals' case, though a large one, had only been the surface of the odd crimes that had been committed through the years. Judy knew that with the city being so large and filled with so many different mammals there was bound to be a few strange cases here and there. Of course her time at the academy had expanded her knowledge of the crimes that had taken place in the past. However she had never even fathomed that there had been a crime wave like the one she had just learned about.

She guessed that one of the reasons she was not made aware was the fact that there had been a sort of cover up. It would have made the ZPD look very bad if everyone had known there was a mastermind about causing so much chaos through different means. She could only imagine the public outcry and the panic it would cause if all of Zootopia knew. Of course until recently it had been hard to link all the crimes together. According to Amanda the ZPD investigations department was still finding new facts about cases that had happened years ago which would link them together.

The other reason behind this knowledge not being well known was the accepted fact that the mammal responsible had been killed in the blast that had cost the life of Bogo's former partner, Officer Tops. Judy remembered back to the start of this new case and her visit to the hospital to interview the first victims. It all made sense as to why Bogo was there and why he had been so defensive when Nick had accused him during the morning briefing. The chief had come all that way to visit Angie Tops. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. Angie was the daughter of a fallen hero. Judy felt a pang of sadness as she began to imagine what this all meant to the poor cheetah and her godfather. She wondered how much Bogo knew about the new findings and if he would share the information with Angie or not. It would break a great deal of regulations but Judy wasn't sure what the chief would do in that regard. Would it be better to just not say anything and let Angie live her life? Or would it be better to explain that the one responsible for her father's death was back so the young cheetah could prepare herself. Judy definitely didn't envy the chief right about now.

The idea that the criminal who had caused so much chaos in the past might be back did not bode well. Nor did the idea that this was a copycat merely picking up where the other had left off. There was still so much left unanswered and they had very little to go on at this point. Most of the leads in the original case had all but dried up and the new attacks were obviously being done by professionals.

Judy had suggested they bring up the traffic cams in the area of Sahara Square to see if they would have gotten video from the first attack on Angie and Jerry. Much to her annoyance the screens filled with static. Amanda brought up a maintenance log that showed the cameras had gone down earlier the day of the attack and were ticketed for repair the next morning. It all seemed very convenient to the team but it wasn't much to go on. With such a large city there was thousands of cameras and they would occasionally go out or be shut down for repairs. Every time a new idea popped into one of the officers heads it would be stopped dead in its tracks by a faulty cameras, no witnesses, or a total lack of evidence to support the idea. They were getting nowhere fast. Much to Judy's annoyance she still hadn't received a message from Nick about Mel, she couldn't be too mad at her partner though. Nick was most likely sleeping in or recovering. She hoped to hear from him soon though. If not for the case than just to hear from him in general. She was still wondering if he may be a little annoyed with the kiss she had planted on him earlier.

After Judy had exhausted all of her ideas on where to go in the case the team decided it was time for a well-earned break. Much to the other mammals surprise Judy offered to treat everyone to lunch. Explaining that since they had already covered so much and she had been out on leave it was the least she could do to make it up to them. No surprise Wolfard and McHorn did not argue. Amanda however tried to offer to cover her end but in the end surrendered to the bunny's insistence. "You are gonna learn, when Judy gets something in her mind, it stays stuck, so just go with it!" Judy heard Wolfard explain to the impala as they all stood up to stretch their legs.

Some would think that since prey and preds shared two different kinds of diets the task of treating a team composed of both would be difficult. This was not the case in Zootopia. With a city composed of such diverse species it was not hard to find a food joint that catered to both species. When one started to visit the higher end restaurants though there may be complications as some chefs preferred to focus on one kind of dish. However most chefs would be up to the challenge of trying to create something new for their customers whether they be prey or pred. Judy didn't have to worry about finding a place to pick up lunch though since the team actually all threw in orders that could be filled at the same place: Max's Cafe.

Max's was a small diner just a block away from the ZPD, it was a common stomping ground for many members of Zootopia's finest. Some folks joked that it was also one of the safest places to eat since there was always a cop inside. Most mornings the place would be packed with businessmen, cops, and a few locals as they had some amazing breakfast specials and one never found their coffee mug empty.

Judy had phoned the order ahead of time in so she could avoid the normal wait time which was common at the diner. It wasn't anything against the staff there, it was just normally crowded and orders managed to pile up rather quickly. As Judy entered the diner she looked around at the crowd inside, the lunch rush was lighter than normal and she even spotted a few empty tables around the restaurant. Though the exterior of the diner had a modern day feel with large windows and sky blue paint the interior was something out of an old movie. Art deco was obviously the theme as the walls were painted white with a tinge of gold. There were a lot of large swooping designs and silver seemed to compliment most of the furniture and fixtures. The owner obviously was a fan of different times.

As Judy hopped up to a large counter with cushioned stools down the length a pig in a baby blue dress and apron walked behind the counter a fresh pot of coffee. A warm smile spread across the pigs face, "Be right with ya darling!" She said kindly as she filled up the waiting mug of a rabbit in a business suit a few spaces down. Once the pig had taken care of everyone at the counter she came back to Judy and pulled out a small pencil, "What will it be sweetie?"

Judy loved the atmosphere here. It felt like a small town diner back in Bunny Burrow. Even though right outside was the massive metropolis she felt like she was back home. "I have an order for pick up, it's under Judy!" The small bunny explained as she looked at the pig and then to the pickup window just behind her.

"Oh right! That will just be a few more minutes, Max is just finishing up, coffee while ya wait?" The pig offered as she swirled the large coffee pot. Judy shook her head, "No thank you ma'am, take your time, and I am early after all!" Judy explained as she politely turned down the pigs offer. The waitress gave Judy a kind nod and strolled back down the counter to take care of her other customers. Judy reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. A look of disappointment crossed her face as she noticed her message box was empty. "Lazy fox," She muttered to herself. Nick had still not responded to her inquiry earlier, he must still be asleep, which didn't surprise her. She remembered that she would have trouble getting a hold of Nick from time to time as the fox actually liked to sleep in on his days off, to the point that it would be late afternoon sometimes before she heard from him. Judy was about to text Nick again when she heard movement behind her. Someone hopped onto the stool Judy was sitting on and was standing right behind her to the point she felt them leaning against her back. Suddenly a pair of paws covered her eyes. Judy's ears shot up and her muscles tensed as she began to assess the situation, she instinctively grabbed the paws in front of her face and was about to force them away when her nose twitched and she began to pick up a familiar smell.

"Guess who!" Came a sweet sounding voice as Judy felt someone press up behind her.

"Is it one of my favorite bunnies?" Judy said as her mouth formed into a broad smile and she felt a warm sensation fill her.

"One of? Nope, that won't do at all! I better be top bunny!" Trisha said as she slowly lowered her paws and wrapped her arms around Judy's shoulders and squeezed the gray bunny from behind. Trisha slowly moved her head so her cheek was against Judy's. "Hi cutie!" The brown bunny whispered and gave Judy a gentle peck on the cheek. Judy felt her cheeks go warm and took a moment to collect herself. "You are top bunny!" Judy said playfully as she reached up and placed a paw on Trisha's arms, which were still wrapped around Judy's shoulders. Judy couldn't help but notice that the brown bunny seemed to be lingering for a few moments longer than would be considered normal before hopping into the chair next to the officer. Judy though didn't mind. She, like many bunnies, like physical contact and enjoyed the attention she was receiving.

"So how is my favorite babe in the ZPD?" Trisha asked as she got comfortable in the seat next to Judy. Judy turned to fully face her friend and took her in. Trisha was out of her regular 10-7 apparel and wearing a blue plaid button up shirt and a pair of sun-bleached jeans that fit snuggly around her slender form. Judy chuckled slightly at the sight, had Trisha been out in the countryside she would have easily been mistaken as a local. Maybe it was just something about bunny heritage but it always looked like they belonged on a farm covered in dirt. Judy of course being the exception.

"I am doing good, just returned to work today actually!" Judy explained as she finished checking out Trisha's outfit and gazed back into the bright blue eyes of the brown bunny. "I am getting lunch for the rest of the team right now actually! What are you doing here?"

"Was out running some errands and when I looked through the window I noticed this cute little number wearing a nice looking ZPD vest so I thought I would pop in" Trisha said with a wicked grin.

"Well I am glad you did!" Judy was beaming at this point. Not only because of the compliment about her, but also about her new vest. Ty had done some great work. "By the way, Blue is definitely your color! You are looking good! Much better than that fire house shirt you had on last time!" Judy couldn't help but put another jab in at the fire department, even if they weren't present.

Trisha began to wiggle her whole body at the last part, "Aww, you're so sweet! Think I would look as good as you in a ZPD blue?"

"Oh definitely, bet you would look great in a uniform!" Judy said playfully.

"Bet you would look great out of one!" Trisha shot back with a wink.

'If she lays it on any thicker she might break something!' Judy's inner voice filled her mind as an image of Trisha in a ZPD vest, and only a vest, flashed through Judy's thoughts. Judy was blushed and shook her head at Trisha. "You best be careful, soliciting an officer can be serious, may just have to get my handcuffs." Judy finally managed to shoot back, surprised at her own daring.

"Oh don't tease!" Trisha said as she gave Judy a playful slap on the knee. "Speaking of tease, you and Nick were putting on quite the show the other night at the bar! Guessing your date went well?"

Judy tensed up a little at the question and her mind went back to the night of what she had thought was Judy's and Nicks first date. The night had not really gone according to plan however and Judy still found herself in a form of friendship limbo with Nick. Though she was glad they managed to escape with their friendship still as strong as ever, it still stung a little.

"Uh oh…"Trisha said cautiously as she read Judy's expression. The brown bunnies ears drooped slightly, "Wanna talk about it sweetie?"

Judy bit her lip as she looked down at the counter and then back at the brown bunny sitting next to her. She took a deep breath and then explained the events at the 10-7 bar. She made sure to mention however that though Nick had not necessarily taken the next step with her he had made the night one to remember when he explained what their friendship meant to him and how strong he felt because of her. By the end of the story Trisha had to grab a napkin and wipe away a few tears from her own cheek. "That dumb fox, didn't think he could be so sweet and stupid at the same time!" She explained as she looked back at Judy warmly. The brown bunny scooped up one of Judy's paws with her own and gave it a squeeze.

"Stupid?" Judy asked, one of her ears drooping slightly as she tilted her head in slight confusion. She had thought everything Nick had said was very well thought out and somewhat romantic, even if it was kind of shooting her down.

"Yeah of course stupid!" Trisha said, her voice raising slightly "You are Judy freaking Hopps! He must be an idiot to not want to date you!" Trisha said loudly. A few other mammals in the diner looked up at the conversation for a moment before returning to their meals.

Judy was beat red at this point as she looked around the room embarrassingly. "Sorry, sorry everyone!" Trisha said as her eyes went wide and she scanned the room. She then looked back at Judy and lowered her head apologetically. There was a moment of silence before the two bunnies burst out laughing.

As the two bunnies collected themselves Judy noticed Trisha was looking just over the officers shoulder apprehensively, "Uh oh, think I may have just gotten you some attention," Trisha muttered as she looked from Judy and then back to an approaching mammal behind her.

"Excuse me, I couldn't help over hearing, but are you the officer Judy Hopps?" Judy slowly turned in her seat and looked to the source of the voice. The rabbit in the business suit had strolled over to the pair and was giving Judy a look of admiration. He was very well groomed and Judy's eyes quickly fell on his bright violet tie. From his demeanor she guessed he was some kind of high stakes businessmammal. The type that didn't normally take no for an answer and would occasionally ask other mammals if they knew who he was.

"Yes, that would be me," Judy said hesitantly. Normally she would introduce herself with confidence but she felt something odd about this rabbit. Maybe it was the conversation that Trisha and she had just had but she felt out of sorts, almost vulnerable. She wished Nick was here. The fox normally had a way of getting rid of nosey or unwanted mammals. There had been occasion though that he watched Judy squirm as other bunnies tried to flirt with her in order to get out of a ticket. They always had a laugh about it afterwards though as Nick tried the lines out on her again, normally receiving a slug in the arm.

"Wow!" The rabbit said as his ears shot up and his eyes went wide. "I am such a big fan officer Hopps! You have been an inspiration to a lot of us!" The hare said as he held out his paw to Judy. She took the out stretched paw and felt the rabbit's firm grip. He obviously had some confidence about him that was obvious. "Where are my manners? Please call me Jim!" Judy loosened her grip but the rabbit continued to hold her paw.

"Hi Jim, I'm Trisha!" The brown bunny said coldly as she draped an arm around Judy's shoulder and gave the new mammal a look that could chill an ember. Judy was suddenly very grateful to have Trisha around as the bunny proceeded to pull Judy close to her to the point Judy was leaning against Trisha's chest.

"Friend of Judy's?" Jim asked as he slowly let go of Judy's gray paw. Judy had received a great deal of attention like this after the missing mammal's case. Apparently some hares saw her as a trophy or a challenge they wished to conquer. She had learned to ignore most of them but after the emotional rollercoaster she had been experiencing this one was just a little much for her to bear. Trisha however stepped up in a big way. Judy could tell that the brown bunny was doing her best to send out the signals that Judy was not some prize and she belonged to someone else.

"Oh, you could say that," Trisha said as she leaned close and gave Judy a peck on the cheek. Judy leaned into the kiss slightly, hopefully giving the signal to this new mammal that she wasn't interested.

The hare seemed to take the hint, somewhat. "Oh well don't let me disturb you, I just heard your name come up and thought I would introduce myself, not every day you get to meet such a cute bunny in uniform" Before parting however Jim reached into his coat pocket and retrieved what appeared to be a business card. "If you are ever in the area of the Forest Falls district give me a shout! Would love to get to know such an interesting mammal" He then placed the business card on the counter and nodded at Judy. When he looked over at Trisha he gave the brown bunny a sly wink and then excused himself.

Judy hadn't realized it but she had been holding her breath and had to exhale. "Thanks for the save," She muttered as she laid her head back so it was resting on Trisha's shoulder. The brown bunny merely smiled as her grip on Judy loosened. "We get them all the time at the bar. Most of them back off if you imply you aren't playing on that team…that guy right there though was one of the rare type. Surprised he didn't ask for a threesome."

As Judy straighten up in her seat as a few lewd thoughts filled her mind. The mention of the word threesome coming from Trisha along with a flash of Nick's sly smile made her blush. 'Don't think Nick could handle you, let alone you and Trisha. Could be fun though' her inner voice suggested as her cheeks began to warm up.

It was at that moment the pig returned with a large brown paper bag with Judy's order. "All set darling!" She said warmly as she placed the bag on the counter. Judy paid for the meals and turned to Trisha. "So what are you doing later this week?" Judy asked casually as she picked up the bag and hopped from her seat. Trisha followed suit and followed Judy out of the diner.

"Kinda a broad question there don't ya think?" Trisha asked as the pair stepped out into the midday sun. "I mean I plan on sleeping for part of it, maybe the occasional food break, maybe watch cartoons and drink till I fall over." Trisha began to list off a few of her hobbies. It was odd but Judy couldn't help but be reminded of Nick at that moment.

"Well if you find time I would love to repay you for playing attack bunny back there. Maybe over a few drinks with Nick?" Judy suggested.

"Think he would mind being the third wheel?" Trisha teased as she gave Judy a sensual wink.

"He can deal with it!" Judy shot back as she stuck out her tongue.

"Well in that case I should be free," Trisha said excitedly. The two exchanged numbers and parted ways. Of course before Judy could escape Trisha pulled her into a warm hug and squeezed the bunny so tightly Judy thought she may hear something crack, she didn't complain though, she actually enjoyed the affection and squeezed Trisha in return.

Once back at the ZPD Judy passed out the different orders. She had to hold back a cough when handling Wolfard's order however, it had a strong smell about it that Judy tried to banish from her senses. The others thanked Judy constantly and offers to cover the next set of meals were made. As the group enjoyed their lunch Judy felt her phone buzz. She casually reached for it and slowly placed it on the table before unlocking the screen. At first she thought it may be Trisha sending her a message to confirm the number was the right one. Judy's eyes lit up however when she saw the message was from Nick. The contents of the message caused her to become even more excited. "That fox." She muttered.

"Mel is willing to meet tomorrow at his shop. Clear it with Buffalo butt. I am going back to sleep now. Need lots of rest because it looks like I am coming back to work early."

The events of the day just melted away when she read the message. She felt herself reading it several times over as she began to shake with excitement. The thought that Nick had not only arranged a meeting with a lead but he could possibly be returning to work sooner than expected. It was all good news to her. As Judy took another bite of her salad she began to sing to herself softly as the other members of the team chatted amongst themselves. "My fox is back and you're gonna be in trouble, hey now, hey now, my fox is back."

* * *

 **Hey everyone.**

 **So its time for an update.**

 **I have a beta reader! They are currently working on going through the previous chapters and correcting the many mistakes that I managed to leave in. As some of you can guess this is gonna take a while :P**

 **This chapter has not gone through them just yet as they are trying to catch up but I being the impatient type wanted to keep posting so you all had something to read while you waited.**

 **Unfortunately however I may be slowing down in updates for a little bit. Not because of the editing but because my work load has increased recently and I don't have as much down time to write.**

 **Please keep those reviews coming. It really does make my day hearing from you all about the story! It also helps me evolve my writing!**

 **Also just an update in the story: Things will start picking back up again very soon! I promise! I felt these last few chapters, though a little dull and lacking in certain departments, are very important for the future!**

 **-Blue**


	25. Before he was Chief

Before he was chief

Years before Judy joined the ZPD Zootopia was a very different place. It was still the city where anyone could be anything. It was still a massive metropolis filled with different species living together. It was still a wild place. However it was also a city plagued with problems. The brave mammals of the ZPD had been in a form of underground war against an unknown force. A series of arsons had been committed in several of the cities diverse districts. Though Zootopia had some of the best fire services in the world it was still proving to be too much for the fire departments to maintain control of the blazes that had begun to pop up over the course of a few weeks. One incident in the Forest Falls district had started a major forest fire. Half the district had to be evacuated. Many homes were lost and sadly so were several lives.

Things however appeared to be favoring the ZPD. They had a major break in the case and believed they were closing in on the mammal responsible. They had set up a trap to try and catch the mastermind behind all the horrors that had haunted the city for so long. Of course things hadn't exactly gone to plan. At the last minute the criminal had been tipped off and now found themselves being pursued by the ZPD through the streets of the very city the police were trying to protect.

"God's be dammed this one is fast!" The water buffalo behind the wheel cursed as they narrowly avoided another vehicle. The suspects' car was almost a half block in front of the pursing ZPD cruiser. The criminal had a bit of an advantage when it came to the chase, they obviously didn't care much for collateral damage as they weaved on and out of traffic at dangerous speeds. "Where is everyone else?" the buffalo asked, hesitant to take his eyes off the road in front of him. Fortunately the officer was not alone in the vehicle. His partner, a strong looking cheetah, quickly looked over his shoulder and scanned the scene behind him. "They are a good two blocks away... Ooh crap!" The cheetah exclaimed as he watched a ZPD vehicle several blocks behind them crash into a light pole as it swerved to miss a jaywalker. "Make that 4 blocks, now 5, now 6."

"Hank!?"The Buffalo shouted as they weaved past a parked semi-truck.

"Yes Irdis?" The cheetah said as he sat back in his seat and looked ahead as he reached for the radio.

"Not helping!" Bogo spat out as he gripped the steering wheel. There was a moment of silence and then the two began to laugh loudly.

Maybe it was the fact that they had caught a break in the case or the idea that they were so close to stopping the mastermind behind so much pain, but the two officers were excited, almost giddy.

"Dispatch this is car triple 7!" Hank said quickly into the radio now held in his paw. He waited for a response from their communication center and then began to transmit the status of the pursuit. "We are still lead in this pursuit, heading south down Hooves towards Dove Drive, what is the status of the other vehicles, saw a nasty crash in the rear view!"

The news was not good, from what could be gathered the other vehicles were now tied up with the traffic incident. Sparks from the lamp that had been hit were spraying into the street and had set a load of cardboard boxes in a truck on fire. The pursuit force had gone from an overwhelming stampede to a lone car.

"You think the universe hates cops sometimes?" Hank asked as he suddenly grabbed his seat as Bogo maneuvered the car around a sharp turn. The suspect vehicle was beginning to expand the gap and was easily two blocks ahead of them.

"Doesn't matter, this is ending, tonight!" Bogo particularly shouted as he gripped the wheel, nearly causing it to crack due to his intense strength.

"Easy partner, save it for the suspect!" Hank warned as he looked from his partner and then back at the vehicle on the distance. "Dang it! Close the gap! You drive like my grandmother!"

"And you drive like a lunatic! We can't catch them if we are wrapped around a light pole!" Bogo shot back, Hank did notice though that they suddenly picked up a little speed.

The suspects' vehicle made another sharp turn up ahead. Something about the way they were driving was concerning though. Bogo felt almost as if there was a set path being taken, and not just a random series of turns to evade capture. By the time the ZPD cruiser rounded the corner the suspects' vehicle was parked haphazardly on the sidewalk in front of a dilapidated apartment building. As Bogo pulled the cruiser up behind the abandoned car in front of them Hank reached for the radio and informed the dispatcher of their current location. "Request immediate back up! Suspect is most likely armed and dangerous!" Hank said as he Unbuckled and began to get out of the cruiser.

"10-4, a tactical team is 2 mikes out. Stand by 777!" Came a muffled voice from the radio. The partners stepped out of the vehicle and looked at one another hesitantly.

"What do ya say Idris?" Hank asked as he drew his side arm and checked to make sure there was a round in the chamber. The action signaled that Hank wasn't in a waiting mood.

"We should at least wait for the tactical team, let them do the storming part," Bogo suggested as he scanned the street for their back up. While the Buffalo was focused on the street his partner quickly strode towards the suspects now empty vehicle, weapon raised. By the time Bogo noticed his partner had left the side of the cruiser the cheetah was already at the passenger side of the car, peering into the window.

Bogo nearly jumped at the brash action his partner was taking but quickly drew his own weapon and moved towards the driver's side of the car. "At least tell me when you are about to do something stupid so I can at least watch you get tagged!" Bogo said in a stern whisper. His partner just gave him a sly wink as they confirmed the car was empty.

There was a sudden wine of a siren off in the distance. The tactical team was only a few blocks away and was closing in on the scene. Bogo felt himself breathe a sigh of relief as their backup sped down the street. However the moment was short lived as a scream pierced the night air from inside the apartment building. The two partners looked at one another, panic on the pairs faces. Without saying a word the two mammals ran up the steps of the apartment building. No words were needed as the pair scanned all angles and arrived at a pair of large double doors. Bogo grabbed the handle to the door and gave it a slight shake. It was unlocked.

The sound of squealing tires could be heard as a large armored truck came to a screeching halt just a few feet away from the cruiser Bogo had left parked behind the suspect's empty vehicle. As the doors to the large truck blew open and armored mammals poured out Bogo opened the large door to the apartment building and aimed his weapon at one angle while his partner the other. The two had trained constantly and had been working together for years, they could read one another's movements and knew what steps the other was about to take before they were taken.

The lobby of the apartment was pitch black and the only light came from the streets lamps outside. Bogo eyes tried to adjust as he took a few steps into the room. Hank was close behind the Buffalo and quickly walked into the lobby and stood beside Bogo.

"Oh shit Irdis out!" The cheetah shouted as his night vision took in a sight that Bogo was blinded to. Before the Buffalo could do anything he felt his partner grab him by the arms and with all his strength the cheetah threw the shocked Buffalo back out towards the open doors. Bogo lost his footing and cursed as he stumbled out the doorway.

Bogo wanted to curse his partner. Wanted to ask why he would do such a thing? Wanted to shout and tackle the cheetah to the ground. Seconds later he just wanted to swap places with his partner if it meant the cheetah would be on the sidewalk instead of him. He wanted to be shaken awake from the nightmare. He just wanted Hank to be at his side and not in the building which was suddenly filled with a bright light as a series of explosions shook the whole block. In just a second the building was torn apart from the inside and sprayed debris into the street.

Bogo instinctively curled into a ball and shielded his face from the sudden heat wave from the blast. His ears were ringing from the sound of the massive explosion. When he finally felt it was safe to look he wished he hadn't. The building his partner had been in was now a towering inferno as fire and smoke poured out the windows. Without wasting anytime the Buffalo jumped up and began to limp weakly towards the doorway of the building which had been blasted open, all that could be seen inside was flames.

Bogo didn't get very far as he felt two pairs of paws grab him by the shoulders. "Let me go! Let me go Damnit!" The wounded Buffalo bellowed as he tried to escape the grasp of two of the tactical clad mammals. A large black rhino was on one side and a strong looking tiger was on the other, both of them struggling to hold the Buffalo in place.

"It's over! You can't!" The tiger shouted as he tried to get in front of the enraged Buffalo.

"He's still in there!" Bogo shouted, tears pouring down his cheeks as he tried to shove past the tiger. The rhino though wrapped his arms around Bogo's waist and planted his massive hoofs into the ground, it took the combined strength of both mammals to keep Bogo from rushing into the inferno.

Finally the Buffalo conceded and went limp in the rhino's arms. The tactical officer released Bogo who fell on all fours and began to tremble. "Damnit, Damnit Hank!" Bogo whimpered as the tiger placed a paw on his shoulder and took a knee next to the now sobbing Buffalo.

"Medic! Medic! Someone get Stitch over here!" A black bear was shouting as he dragged a wounded wolf away from the burning building.

A female wolf wearing a light version of the team's tactical gear came running from the back of the large armored truck. She was carrying a light blue bag with a large white cross on the side. The wolf slid onto her knees as she arrived to aid the wounded wolf.

"Ty? Can you hear me darling? It's Stitch! Can you hear me Ty?" The team's medic asked as she quickly put a pair of latex gloves on her paws and began to rummage in her equipment bag. She pulled out a pair of medical sheers and began to cut away at the wolf's pants as the wounded canine let out a moan in pain. "Ty its ok, try not to move honey, I got you!"

More sirens could be heard in the distance as the emergency services began to converge on the scene. Fire trucks lumbered close to the building and began to hose the flames down with massive streams of water. An ambulance pulled up behind the armored tactical truck and a pair of medics rushed over to assist the female wolf who was trying to keep Ty from crossing over.

Bogo looked from the medics and then stared at what was left of the doorway his partner had thrown him from. "Hank, please don't go." Bogo pleaded in a faint whisper.

Present day Zootopia

It was now the end of the day and Judy was standing in the elevator as it took her to the top floor of the ZPD headquarters. She couldn't help but tap one of her large rabbit feet impatiently as the elevator continued its slow ascent to her intended destination.

Judy was still processing the events of the day. Her outfit alone showed things for her were changing and quick. She felt herself patting the new tranq gun on her side, the new tactical vest was wrapped snuggly around her chest, and she carried a large folder filled with notes for Bogo. Her past self would probably have a hard time recognizing the bunny that now exited the elevator.

When she reached the large frosted glass door that led to Bogo's office she checked to make sure she was presentable. To this day she always wanted to make herself look professional for the chief. Especially with what she felt would be an interesting conversation.

Bogo had requested that she come see him at the end of the day. So much had happened in such a short amount of time she wondered what he would want to discuss. Maybe he was expecting an apology for her attitude on being armed. Maybe he wanted to explain what he knew about her case. Or maybe it was about Nick. She froze with a sudden realization. She had not had a real chance to speak to the chief about her current partner situation since her return. There were policies in place that could make it difficult for Nick and her to work together. Some agencies had a strict no fraternization policy. While others were fairly relaxed in the regard of dating in the ranks. When it came to partners however, well there wasn't exactly a written rule that would deny them or protect them. At the end of the day it would be up to their superior: Bogo.

'What if he re assigns you?' Her inner voice said in panic. She felt queasy at the thought. After all she had been through the past couple of days. The thought of not having Nick in a relationship and losing him as a partner because of some stupid policy would be too much for her. Her mind raced as she thought of excuses to use or some kind of loophole they could abuse in order to keep the partners together. Nothing however came to mind. If Nick was there he would have probably already thought of a few tricks. Judy closed her eyes. "Oh Nick, I wish you were here…" She muttered. She then took in a deep breath and prepared for what she expected to be a difficult talk. Judy gently knocked on the office door that led to Bogo's office. There was a few moments of silence before she finally heard a muffled "Come in."

Judy slowly pushed the door open and strode inside. Doing her best to appear confident, she knew that Bogo responded well to confidence.

Bogo was seated behind his bulky desk. He was still typing away at his computer as Judy approached and took a seat across from her boss. "Hello Hopps, I see you visited the armory, also see Ty pushed a thigh holster on you too," Bogo muttered as he eyed Judy's new side arm through his glasses, "He does know that the ZPD is a police service and not some kind of Special Forces correct?" The question was meant to lighten the mood a tactic not wasted on Judy as she gave the chief a friendly smirk. Though Bogo acted tough when he needed to he had his moments when he was understanding and even a bit playful. Judy remembered Nick's first day when Bogo announced that she and her new fox partner would be doing parking duty, only to give them a playful "Just kidding," before assigning them to an actual case.

"I actually like it chief! It fits snug and wont jab me in my side when I am running!" Judy explained, trying to defend Ty's handy work.

"As long as it works," Bogo mumbled as he looked back at his computer screen. He moved the mouse around on the desk and made a few firm clicks. Judy could tell he was closing down a few documents before giving the bunny his full attention. Though Bogo acted like he wanted to protest Ty's equipment everyone knew he wouldn't stop the old wolf in the armory. Bogo was the kind of leader that was willing to overlook certain things as long as it meant the job was done and he got the results he needed to ensure the public was safe. Even if it meant occasionally allowing his officers to push the limits. Judy was suddenly hopeful that this would be the case for her and Nick.

"So any complaints about being armed then?" The buffalo asked as he shifted in his large chair to fully face Judy.

"No sir," Judy said sheepishly, "I am sorry for the way I acted earlier as well, I should have just listened to you, it is my job after all to protect the public, even if it means I have to resort to more unpleasant means."

"Frankly I am pleased to see that you were hesitant, the whole department was at first. Until they learned what Ty had cooked up." Bogo explained. Trying to pass on credit to the armory master. Ty had mentioned it was actually Bogo's idea. Judy settled on the thought that this was a collaboration between the two. "Tells me a lot about the team we have here. Speaking of teams."

Bogo removed his glasses and placed them on his desk and then placed his hooves in front of him.

'Oh boy, here it comes,' Judy's inner voice warned.

"We need to discuss you and your partner." Bogo began to say. Judy felt her heart get heavy and her ears began to droop. Bogo paused as his eyes went from Judy's ears and then to her large purple eyes which were filled with dread. "Oh come on now Hopps, have I really earned that sort of reputation?"

"Sir?" Judy asked, tilting her head to one side in a puzzled manner.

"This isn't the old days Hopps. The city is evolving and with it so must the ZPD. If we become a reactive force then we begin to fall behind. We must be proactive!" Bogo explained. Judy became even more confused though somewhat amused. She had heard these phrases before at the academy when it came to what kind of policing was required for a city. "I don't care who my officers date in their spare time. That time belongs to them! If you wish to date a fox then so be it." The buffalo paused for a moment and closed his eyes, "But of all the foxes does it have to be him? I mean there must be others. Maybe ones that aren't so…so..?" Bogo tried to look for the words to describe Nick. Judy's mind filled with many words, most of which she would be embarrassed to mutter in front of her boss.

"Unique Sir?" Judy suggested.

"I was going to say a smug arse but your way is more professional." Bogo said in surrender.

Judy's mouth was agape. Though Bogo had occasionally insulted Nick to the fox's face he had always been provoked. To hear the chief joke about Nick behind closed doors was actually somewhat amusing to the bunny. "He is that too sir."

Bogo drew in a long breath as he searched for what to say next. The mood in the room took a serious turn and Judy was starting to get sick on this rollercoaster of emotions.

"Now when it comes to you two as partners," Bogo began to say as he reached down and opened one of his desk's drawers and pulled out a tattered navy blue book. "I want you to…well I want you to know about…" The buffalo for once was at a loss for words as he looked at the book and then back to Judy.

Judy was staring into Bogo's eyes as she tried to gage what was going on in his head. She then looked down at the book on his desk. Without saying anything Bogo slowly slid the book towards Judy. The bunny stood up on her seat and tried to lean up towards the desk. Finding the size being a problem she looked up at the buffalo who merely nodded. Judy then hopped up and stood on the large desk as she opened the worn book.

The first page had a note written in bright blue, "To Papa Irdi. My favorite slow Dad. Love your little Spot."

It didn't take Judy long to put two and two together. This was obviously a gift from Angie Tops. The young cheetah that she and Nick had met on the first day of this new case. Bogo had let slip at the hospital that he was the young mammals godfather.

"She made me that for father's day last year." Bogo muttered solemnly.

"A year ago?" Judy asked, slightly confused because the book was so worn down.

"Books can become worn out quickly if you look at them every night."

Judy couldn't look at the chief. The words were just too much and she felt her eyes begin to water. Her ears twitched though when she heard a faint noise and then noticed Bogo had slid a tissue box over to Judy's side of the desk. "Thank you sir," She said quietly as she grabbed a tissue and cleared her eyes. When Judy felt ready she slowly turned the page.

The book was filled with old pictures. All of them included the same two mammals. A younger looking Bogo and a handsome cheetah. There were pictures from their graduation. From the front of one the prescient 3 building. A handful of them were taken inside a cruiser. One made Judy giggle as she saw the image of Bogo opening a can of soda which had obviously been shaken up beforehand. The look of surprise on the buffalo's face was priceless. The farther into the book Judy got the more she noticed how the mood changed. The first few pages were all from work. The middle seemed to be dedicated to outside of work. There were pictures of barbeques, parties, even one of Angie's birthday parties. The little cheetah was being lifted into the air by Bogo as a laughing Hank stood beside them. There was so much joy in every photo that Judy needed another tissue.

Though there were no words in the album it told a beautiful story. Two partners. One pred. One Prey. Both loved one another in a way only true friends could. It may not have been the same love that Judy had for Nick. It was however just as strong and just as beautiful.

Judy reached the last page and felt her paws give pause. She hadn't turned the paper completely and only saw the corner of the final picture. It had a black ribbon on the side. She knew what was coming. It was one of those cases where she knew how the story ended but didn't want to read the final chapter. Judy took a deep breath and slowly turned the final page.

There was only a single picture. A large black and white photo of Hank. He was wearing his dress uniform and giving the camera a handsome smile. She had sadly seen these photos before. It was a common trend when laying an officer to rest to show their picture in this manner.

There was a single line written in a familiar hand, "I love you." It wasn't just to Bogo, but to Hank as well.

"I am not going to split you and Officer Wilde up," Bogo muttered.

Judy looked up in surprise as she closed the album. "I never intended to in the first place. You two complement one another too well and I refuse to allow some silly little policy get in the way of my star team."

Bogo reached over and gently picked up the book and opened it to a random page and looked down at the pictures. "I wanted you to see this though Hopps, I needed you to see this." Bogo then closed the book and looked seriously at the bunny who was still standing on his desk.

"Every day we put on the badge and go to work knowing full well we may not return home. We do our best not to get emotionally attached but that is impossible. It is only natural for a strong bond to form. Mine was with Hank. Yours is with Wilde. There is no point fighting it. You need to understand the risk though of becoming this involved with your partner. One day something could happen. I need you to understand that," The buffalo explained.

Judy felt more tears begin to form which she neglected to wipe away. Instead she let them roll down her gray cheeks as she looked confidently at Bogo.

"I understand sir," Judy said firmly. Doing her best to keep certain images at bay. One however snuck into her mind and she knew it would haunt her thoughts for years to come. It was an image of Nick in black and white with a ribbon in the corner. No, that would never happen. Not while she was his partner. She would do everything in her power to protect him. Even if it meant her picture would replace his.

Judy remained standing there as she took in her chief. Her purple eyes scanning his strong form. He looked a little more tired than usual and seemed almost exhausted. The news that someone who had killed his partner may be back had obviously taken its toll. She wanted to comfort him and assure him that justice would be served.

Almost as if he could read Judy's thoughts the buffalo gave Judy a stern look, "You may not hug me Hopps."

'He can read our thoughts! Quick don't think of Nick naked! Don't think of Nick naked! Oh gods we are thinking of him naked!" Her inner voice screamed.

"Just a little..."Judy began to ask.

"No!" Bogo said as he quickly put the album back in his desk. "If you want a hug then go find Clawhauser!"

"Yes sir!" Judy said as she hopped from the desk. "Would you like me to fill you in on the case before I go get my hug or after sir?"

Though Bogo had just shared one of the darkest stories of his life it was a credit to his character that he was able to get right back to business and even throw in a playful joke. In the emergency response world they didn't have much of a choice to let the past consume them. These were the mammals that would have to witness horrible events only to respond to another one minutes later. Joking was a requirement in their world. Sometimes one would have to find a joke, even in the middle of a nightmare.

"Oh gods what has he done to you?" Bogo said as he put a hood to his temple and massaged his brow. "Maybe I should transfer you, he is obviously corrupting you. I can't handle two Wildes!"

Judy burst out laughing at the comment. Wondering if the chief realized what he had just implied? She thought it would be best for now just to leave it. Instead she reached for the case file she had brought Bogo and filled the chief in on what had been covered that day for the new night howler case. She then went on to explain the sudden break they had thanks to Nick and how she needed the chiefs permission to bring Nick back early in order to meet Mel.

"You're kidding right? I finally get a vacation from Wilde and you want to end it early?" Bogo said. Judy began to wonder if Bogo really hated Nick or if this were some kind of act. She could see a slight grin and noticed the buffalos tone was not necessarily angry. She smirked when she began to think it was more of a game between the two.

"Well sir, yes, our contact will only meet if it's with Nick. Apparently he isn't a fan of the ZPD so the fewer officers the better. I was thinking just myself and Nick could handle this one," Judy suggested.

"Nick is still wounded and hasn't been issued his side arm yet," Bogo began to mumble as he closed his eyes in thought, "I will approve it on the condition that you go armed and bring another member of your team to assist. The others will wait in the area just in case. We can't afford to lose this lead!"

Jud thought for a moment and felt this was probably as good as it was going to get. She had to admit Bogo really wasn't asking for much. He had just approved Nick to return to work and for them to make contact with this new lead. Having additional officers nearby would actually put her mind at ease. "Understood sir, as long as I can pick who goes in with Nick and me!"

Bogo nodded giving Judy the greenlight. She had to contain herself from jumping in excitement so instead she hopped from her chair and gave her chief a salute.

"You best call it a night Hopps, sounds like you have a busy day. Plus I have to mentally prepare myself for Wilde's return." Bogo muttered as he dismissed the gray bunny.

Minutes later Judy was strolling through the lobby of the ZPD as she headed towards the exit. There were a handful of officers and mammals milling around. Some were from the late shift while others like Judy were heading home for the day. Judy didn't take notice of most of them, she was captivated with her phone as she texted Nick.

"Going 10-7 for the night. Can we meet up?"

"No, too tired."

The text had surprised Judy and also made her heart sink. She really needed to see Nick right now. Not just to fill him in on the case and the operation for tomorrow, but to also just see him. She really needed his comfort right about now. After the conversation with Bogo she felt vulnerable and at the very least just needed to see her partner. The fact he responded so quickly and with such a response saddened her.

"Please? It's been kind of a crazy day"

"Nope."

"Nick come on! I'll buy you dinner!"

"Tempting but still not feeling it"

"Not feeling it?!" Judy blurted out to herself. What was with him? This was very unlike Nick. "And desert?" She offered in the message app.

"Mmmm, what else ya got?" Came Nick's response.

"How about I take you back to my place and rock your world?" She wrote in the app. Paused and then deleted the message before replacing it with, "Nick I really just need to see you right now. I am not feeling like myself."

"Well you sure do look different," Came a sly voice in front of Judy. The bunny had been so focused on her phone she hadn't realized that she was outside of the main building. She had managed to walk halfway down the entry steps during the text conversation without looking up and hadn't noticed Nick standing on the sidewalk.

Judy froze as she looked over at the fox, still wearing his pawaiian shirt and tie combo, his standard sly grin on his face. "Wow, they arming the meter maids now too?" The fox asked as he nodded over at Judy's new side arm. The bunny didn't say anything as she looked over at her partner. She was at a loss for words. Maybe it was the conversation Bogo and she had just had or maybe it was because she was just an emotional bunny sometimes. Judy burst into tears as she quickly closed the gap between her and Nick and literally leapt at him. She wrapped her arms around her fox as she buried her face in his chest.

"Geeze carrots, I was only gone for a day!" Nick said obviously surprised at Judy's reaction. He none the less wrapped his good arm around his partner and held her in a warm hug.

"I know, I'm sorry, it's just been one of those days," Judy's muffled voice came from Nick's chest as she continued to nuzzle into him.

"Well you know what will make it better?" Nick asked as he managed to escape her grasp and leaned down in front of her. He placed a paw on her cheek, wiped away some of her tears.

"What?" Judy asked as her bright purple eyes went wide with anticipation. 'Please say crazy interspecies sex!' Her inner voice chanted.

"You buying me dinner," Nick said with a smirk as he patted Judy on the cheek and then stood up straight, "and I have expensive tastes so you may not be able to afford rent next month, come on Carrots!"

Nick grabbed Judy's paw and led her down the sidewalk away from work. Though Judy had just been put through an emotional storm everything just melted away as she walked next to her partner. She wasn't looking around at the other mammals who were probably staring, nor did she look at Tammy who was making smooching noises as they passed. No Judy was focused on one thing. Her small gray paw which was gently grasped in Nick's black one. He didn't let go. She hoped he never would.

* * *

 **Hey everyone.**

 **Sorry for the long wait on this one. With the holidays here my work load has increased a great deal and I find myself with less down time.**

 **Editing the previous chapters is still underway, this may take a while. In the meantime I will still be posting new chapters but sadly my beta reader wont be able to get to them before they get posted. I figured it would be better to get the story out to all of you to enjoy and then go back later to cross some i's and dot the t's.**

 **If you do happen to find some grammar issues in the chapter please pm me. I like to think I am fairly responsive to these messages and do my best to edit major mistakes when pointed out. Just ask your fellow readers!**

 **This was a sad chapter. I know. It is an important chapter though. Happy to report though we have finally sailed through the serious stuff and will find our partners back in action very very soon! In more ways than one too!**

 **As always reviews are greatly appreciated and super important. Especially the ones telling me how handsome I am!**

 **Also Onyxrose777 hope you enjoyed the squad car's call sign. Thanks for your words of wisdom.**

 **-Blue**


	26. Meet Melvin

Meet Melvin

The door was locked and there was no escape. Nick could feel his heart pounding as he tried in vain to open the door. With every failed attempt he became more and more frantic. He began to wonder how much force it would take to shatter the window of the vehicle he was currently trapped in. "Maybe there is something under the seat? A hammer or something? Anything?" He thought as he gritted his teeth and continued the locked handle. He quickly reached under the passenger seat but only felt the floor and a few small wires. There was nothing! There was no escape! This was how it was gonna end!

" _Birds don't just fly they fall down and get up!_ " The radio blared as Judy and Amanda sang along to the famous Gazelle hit. " _Nobody learns without getting it wrong_!"

Nick tried his best to focus on something from the outside world. Maybe he would even be able to signal for help or something. It was no use however and he slowly slouched in his seat, resolved to his fate.

It was midday in Zootopia and the three mammals were enjoying a leisurely drive through the rainforest district. Well at least two of the mammals were. Nick however was doing his best to remain calm. Having Judy as a partner normally meant that when this song came on the radio the station was turned up and he was not allowed to touch the dials till the finale. The song was catchy the first few times but after what felt like the thousandth time it was really starting to get to the fox. There was one consolation though. Judy had a lovely voice and her face always seemed brighter and more cheerful when listening to this particular song.

Nick looked over his shoulder at the backseat of the small undercover vehicle and smirked as he watched Judy continue singing as if no one was watching. When the gray bunny realized she was in the fox's gaze it did not stop her. Instead she leaned up in her seat towards Nick and continued to sing. " _I won't give up no I won't give in 'til I reach the end then I'll start again!_ " The bunny sang out as she gave her partner a playful wink. Her smile, her large purple eyes, the way she would sway her little figure to the beat, and he especially enjoyed how her ears remained straight up as she tried to take in every little sound the song had to offer. These were all reasons as to why they were still friends. The thought of missing out on moments like this if things didn't work out. He wasn't sure if there would even be a reason to get up in the morning if he had to miss this the rest of his life.

Nick had the urge to tell her these things sometimes but knew it would only make things complicated. After all it would be kind of cruel after what he had said at the 10-7 bar several nights ago. Telling Judy he needed time to see where this could go only to tell her how beautiful she was when she was happy. No, he would just keep it to himself for now. Maybe one day when he was sure things would be secure and there would be no risk at losing Judy. That would be the time to tell her what she really meant. That would be the time to tell her how he fell asleep. For now though that particular ritual would have to remain a secret.

As the song continued Nick looked over at the driver side of the vehicle and shook his head as Amanda continued her duet with Judy. She even leaned close to Nick as the song continued, " _Oh oh oh oh oh, try everything!_ " The impala sang out and gave Nick a warm smile. Nick gave the agent a weak grin and nodded as he tried to stealthily reach over to the radio dial. He obviously wasn't on his A-game since Amanda noticed and quickly swatted the fox's hand away.

Nick knew he would just have to wait the song out. He looked down at his cellphone and checked their travel time. He let out a sigh of relief as the map on the screen indicated they were only a few minutes away.

When the ZPD had first approached Melvin Long about the case they had not been able to get anything substantial out of the giraffe. What little information they could get was later found to be useless. Melvin obviously didn't want to deal with the authorities. Little did Melvin know though was the ZPD were planning on bringing him in for questioning in order to get the information they needed. Fortunately Nick was able to contact the paranoid mammal before things got too messy and managed to arrange a meeting at Melvin's place of business. Since Melvin was the last lead they had Bogo had approved Nick's early return to work. If it meant they could get the information they needed without playing hardball, well Bogo would just have to stomach Nick earlier than expected.

Nick looked up suddenly and his ears turned slightly as he felt a small gray paw on his shoulder. The song was reaching its finale and Judy had taken the liberty of climbing up behind Nick from the backseat. The fox felt Judy gently wrap an arm around his shoulder as the bunny leaned up to one of his ears. " _Try everything…_ " Judy whispered in a slightly more seductive tone than he was used to. The bunny wasn't finished however as she planted her lips on his ear and gave him a gentle kiss. "She is getting bolder, didn't count on that so soon," He thought nervously. He enjoyed the attention immensely but it was very bold of her, almost over the line. Especially with a fellow ZPD team member in the car, though Amanda didn't seem to mind as the impala let out a giggle.

"Awww, you guys must have all sorts of fun at stake outs!" Amanda teased as she pulled the car into a small shopping center underneath a massive tree and parked in front of a bright green building. The whole area was still wet from the hourly rainfall and it made the air humid and sticky as the three mammals exited the small undercover vehicle. "Speaking of which, better check on the boys and see if they have set up yet." Amanda said as she pulled her cellphone out and sent a quick text to McHorn and Wolfard.

The team had decided to go low key on this particular operation. Well Nick had anyways. Melvin after all was an old friend from back in the day and Nick felt bad about bringing him in on this in the first place. One of the conditions for this meeting was it would not be treated like a sting. Nick and Judy would ask all the questions. There would be no recording devices. No surveillance. No incriminating Melvin in any way. He did agree on the extra back up however and decided that Amanda would be the lease threatening of the bunch. While Judy, Amanda, and Nick were speaking to Melvin, Wolfard and McHorn would be standing nearby and waiting for a message if things went sour. Nick however reassured everyone that though Melvin could be somewhat intense the giraffe was completely harmless.

"The boys are across the street at the smoothie place, you two want anything?" Amanda asked casually as she put her phone away and checked her reflection in the mirror. On top of going low key Nick had wanted the team that met Melvin to dress casual. This was easy for Nick as pretty much the only things he owned were pawaiian in nature. Judy was wearing her "Bunny burrow best" as Nick called it. A simple green plaid shirt and sun-bleached jeans. Her tranq gun was holstered snuggly on her back in a concealed holster Ty had provided. Amanda had gone a different route and was wearing a light blue blouse and dress pants. Her tranq gun was hidden neatly in her purse. Wolfard had made the mistake earlier of asking how fast she could draw from her hand bag with all the make up inside. Turns out in a matter of seconds she could easily draw and have it right underneath a wolves chin without dropping her lipstick.

"Blueberries," Both Nick and Judy said at once. Nick was ordering while Judy was mocking her partner for always ordering the same thing. The fox looked over at the bunny with a grin that made her knees tremble slightly.

"So cute it's gross," Amanda muttered as she finished checking her reflection and then stared at the shops. It didn't take long to find their intended destination. A small shop with a series of pictures of different plants and mammals all smiling and drinking what looked like smoothies. "Vitamins and herbal supplements, gotta say, never been to one of these before."

"He is a bit of a health nut," Nick explained as he stepped up onto the sidewalk followed closely by Judy. "Oh and don't tell him I said that. Also don't mention the ZPD. Oh and don't say anything about health! Just trust me!"

As Nick listed off the no go topics Judy and Amanda looked at one another nervously and then back at Nick who continued to walk down the sidewalk. "Don't talk about health?" Judy asked as she caught up to her partner. Judy had a bit of a new skip in her step. It was painfully obvious why. With Nick back she felt like she could take on whatever this case could throw at her. It was obvious to the rest of the team as well. The whole morning she had found herself gravitating to her partner. She never had to gravitate far mind you since the fox seemed to keep close to her, much to Judy's happiness. The rest of the team kept rolling their eyes and making gagging gestures when they thought the duo wasn't looking.

"Trust me carrots, we would be in there for days and I was hoping to take a certain bunny for drinks tonight," Nick said as he looked down at Judy and gave her a wink. The bunny's cheeks warmed and she had to look away for a second.

"Oh gosh will these two just screw already?" Amanda thought to herself as she followed behind the partners, feeling like she was watching two high schoolers flirting with one another before a school dance.

The inside of Melvin's shop was immaculate. The light blue walls didn't have a speck of dust on them and the posters were all hung perfectly straight. The isles were all fully stocked with different bottles and boxes of health supplements, vitamins, and herbal remedies. As Judy scanned the aisles she noticed that there wasn't a speck of dust on anything and the whole place smelled like citrus and paw sanitizer. "Wow…" The bunny muttered as she noticed in front of every isle was a paw sanitizer station with a sign that read, "Use before shopping please!"

"Told you, best to just follow his rules," Nick muttered as he placed his good paw underneath the dispenser and did his best to clean his paw in the cast off. "Oh but when he's not looking turn some of the bottles around, he loves that I swear!"

Judy had worked long enough with Nick to detect sarcasm within seconds and she shook her head. "We want him to help us, not kick us out dumb fox!" Judy whispered as she too began to clean her own paws.

As the trio walked down the center aisle a counter came into view in the back of the shop. Behind it stood a tall giraffe with a thermometer sticking out of his breast pocket. He was wearing a white tucked in s shirt and dark blue slacks and looked almost like he belonged at an accounting firm instead of a vitamin shop. Mel was currently helping an elderly looking porcupine. "Trust me ma'am, these will work a lot better than those bulk store brands. It all depends how they grow the original leafs. Most stores buy from hydroponic farms. Though those work you want leaves that have had more time exposed to the elements. Toughens them up and makes them cook better"

After Mel finished helping the porcupine he looked up from his counter. His expression changed to one of both surprise and mild amusement. "I told you Nick! When you said you were joining the ZPD I told you that you were now 66.7% more likely to receive a major injury!"

"Mel Mel Mel, looking well!" Nick said as he strolled up to the counter and extended his good paw out to his old friend who took it cautiously.

"Good to see you too Nick! Told Gloria you were in the area, she sends her love," Mel said as he looked the fox over and then gazed at the two females standing behind the fox.

Nick took a step to the side and nodded at Amanda and Judy who both approached the counter. Neither of the ladies were nervous at all, they just wanted to keep their distance to keep Mel calm. When dealing with potential witnesses or experts it was best not to crowd them and let one officer do the talking and build up a form of relationship. Since Mel and Nick knew each other already the fox was taking the lead on things.

"This is one of my coworkers, Amanda," Nick said as he nodded at the impala who gave a polite nod with a sweet smile. "And this bunny is the one that puts up with me all day! My partner Judy Hopps!" As Nick introduced Judy the bunny could detect a change in his voice, it was excitement! As her name left his lips she swore she heard something else laced in there but couldn't pin point it so she just shrugged it off.

Mel reached over to a shelve next to the counter and pulled out a small vitamin vial and placed it on the counter in front of Judy as she approached, "For migraines, drop it into your tea and the headaches he causes will begin to fade away."

Judy burst out laughing at this and looked up at Nick and then back at Mel, "You two MUST be friends," She said as she picked the vial up and read the instructions.

"Always a pleasure to see you too Mel," Nick muttered as he leaned up against the counter, "You know why we are here right?"

Mel's expression changed and Judy could tell the giraffe was very nervous. Mel pulled the thermometer from his pocket and checked his temp. There was a faint beeping noise and Mel looked at the results, mumbled something incoherent, and then looked back down at the trio of officers.

"Yeah, I know why and let me just say I am not happy about it," Mel said looking directly at Nick, "Finnick warned me that you had gone to the blue! Didn't think you would start dragging old friends in with you!"

Nick held up a paw in defense, "Mel we aren't here to raid anything and the girls agreed that what you say between us that doesn't directly involve this case is not gonna be brought up again! I know you are still in the business or at least know someone who is. We need your help pal!"

Mel looked down at Judy and shook his head, "Listen it's not like what I do hurts anyone, I am not selling pharmaceutical grade drugs, faulty equipment, or dangerous materials! The giraffe began as he looked directly into Judy's purple eyes. "I just provide a way for certain mammals to obtain the help they need but aren't allowed to!"

"Mel they get it, its okay!" Nick tried to explain.

"You know that mammals in the desert districts aren't allowed portable oxygen tanks because in the hotter months someone is worried one might rupture due to the heat! So those mammals are supposed to just stay inside while the rest of the city is free to roam! Meanwhile only a hospital can purchase a heat graded tank because it was developed by the military?" Mel explained as his voice began to raise.

Nick let out a sigh and placed his chin in his paw and looked from Mel and then back to Judy, he had obviously heard this spiel before.

Mel began to explain, very passionately, how he obtained certain medical equipment for the average mammal to use. Oxygen tanks that were sturdy enough for any environment. Industrial AEDS for senior homes even though they were only cleared to have the smaller versions that had trouble on the larger mammals but still kind of worked. The list went on and on and the more Judy heard the more she felt Mel was like a modern day Robin Hood. He obviously had the connections and would obtain what any mammal needed whether they were licensed to have it or not. Though technically illegal it wasn't exactly hurting anyone so she could easily overlook it.

Judy looked over at Amanda wondering what the impala would say to all this. Amanda must have understood why she was suddenly in the bunnies gaze and gave her a slight shrug. She was obviously not interested in doing anything to Mel since it all seemed very mild. If anything a jaywalker was causing more trouble than Mel ever would.

Judy looked back up at the giraffe who looked like he was about to start another defense rant but before he could open his mouth Amanda piped up, "Mr. Long right now all my friends and are concerned with is the capture of some mammal who is going around shooting citizens with night howler serum. Anything else going on here is not our concern."

"However I would like to talk more about this migraine stuff!" Judy said as she reached over the counter and picked up the small vial, "All natural?"

Mel looked from the impala and then down the bunny, "Yes of course, it's a herbal supplement, no prescription needed. My Gloria uses it all the time!"

"Flavor?" Judy asked as she flipped the vial over and read some of the facts. She was only slightly interested in the medicine. Nick wasn't really that bad and she never got headaches working with him. This was a tactic though to try and calm Mel down and create a common ground. If he was more comfortable with them then he may be willing to divulge more information about who he was selling to.

"It's supposed to be flavorless but I can still detect a hint of something citrus like whenever I try the stuff!" Mel explained as he leaned on the counter and began his sales pitch.

"Hmm, well it couldn't hurt, Nick has been a bit of a pain lately," Judy teased as she looked over at Nick.

The fox faked an insulted look, "Is that why you did this to me?" He asked as he raised his arm which was still wrapped in a cast.

"You kind of had it coming," Judy said with a wink. Her ears gave her away though as they drooped slightly. She wanted to apologize so badly. Nick gave her a reminder she didn't have to however as he gave her a sly smile.

Amanda and Mel both began to laugh at the couple's expense. "Good, keep laughing Mel. We are all friends here!" Judy thought to herself.

Nick had picked up on his partner's tactics and thought now would be a good time to start a few casual questions. "So Mel, for old times' sake, what can you tell us?"

Mel's expression changed very quickly. One moment he was laughing along with the others and the next he was stone faced. "Listen Nick, I would love to help you, I would but even I did want to take the risk I wouldn't be much help!"

"Care to elaborate?" Amanda asked as she took a step closer to the counter.

There was a soft beeping noise as the front door of the shop opened. Two mammals entered, a badger and a strong looking boar, both of whom were busy with their own conversation. Mel's shop keeper side took over and he looked over at the two potential customers, "If you all need anything just give a shout!" He instructed. The two customers looked over at him, the badger gave a small smile while the boar reached up to inspect a large orange box.

"Well the thing is the list you sent me, I have only had one client buy all that stuff recently! Whoever they are they know their stuff," Mel began to explain as he returned to the previous conversation, "And I don't just mean medical wise. They know how to avoid leaving a trail. Everything was done by courier or dead drop! Even the equipment delivery was dropped off at an old warehouse and then picked up to be moved somewhere else. I have no idea where the stuff ended up!"

"Damn," Judy whispered as she snapped her fingers. She had been hoping for so much more but knew deep down it was foolish to think Mel could hand them the case on a silver platter.

Nick however looked excited. "Mel please tell me you remember where the dead drops are!" The fox blurted out with excitement.

"Yeah, doesn't make much of a difference though, I am sure they didn't leave any prints! These guys are professionals!" Mel began to explain.

Judy's ears both shot up suddenly as she heard a familiar sound. The others must not have heard it or else they would have tensed up like she just had. It was the sound of the front door to the shop being locked.

"Why thanks Melvin! I like to think that's why we were hired!" Came the low voice of the boar as he stepped into the center isle and looked down at the group of stunned mammals. "What do ya think? Think the boss will want the snitch dead or alive?"

"Not sure, but you know how the boss is always telling us to think outside the box," Came the voice of the female badger who was hidden behind another aisle, "Wonder what kind of damage three mammals could do to a giraffe?"

Both Amanda and Judy drew their concealed tranq guns and aimed down the aisle at the boar. "No one is hurting Mr. Long!" Amanda shouted as she dropped her purse and took steady aim.

"Oh sweetie, you don't have much of a choice!" The badger shouted as she suddenly sprung from the other aisle. Gripped in the assailants hand was a familiar looking pellet gun.

"Night howlers! Down!" Judy barked as the three mammals dove for cover. Judy heard a crashing noise behind her as Melvin dove behind his counter and started to shout.

"This is what I was talking about Nick!" The giraffe shouted from his hiding place.

Judy had taken cover at one end of the aisle while Amanda had chosen another. Nick however had disappeared entirely. Judy was a little worried but trusted Nick had sought shelter and would stay low. He was wounded and unarmed after all and Judy was confident that she and Amanda could handle the two attackers.

Judy braved a glance from her cover and quickly retreated as a small purple pellet whizzed just inches from her head. Meanwhile a splatter of purple hit a large green can of vitamins just above Amanda's head causing the impala to remain in cover. "Amanda! Call for smoothies!" Judy ordered as she tried to check the corner again.

Amanda understood the command and looked around for her phone. The impala cursed as she realized it was still in her purse which was sitting a feet few beside her, perfectly exposed to the enemies fire. As she tried to reach for it a purple splatter appeared just inches from her hands on the floor. Amanda yelped as she pulled her hoof back and checked to make sure she wasn't hit. "Gonna be a minute there Judy!"

The sudden adrenaline spike was starting to subside in Judy and it allowed her to focus at the situation she found herself in. She took a mental inventory of what she had on her side and what was against her. There were two suspects both armed with night howler pellet guns. One of them was easily 3 times her size and weight so there was little chance of rushing the boar. The badger meanwhile was roughly the same height but had a lot of extra weight which would be difficult for her to handle.

On her side of things however she had Amanda who, no offense to the impala, was more suited for office work then field combat. She also had a cowering witness who was still cursing from behind the counter. Of course she had Nick to back her up but he was both wounded and unarmed. He was also nowhere to be seen! Since Amanda was unable to reach her phone she doubted that Wolfard and McHorn would make it in time to provide back up. Overall the situation was not a very good one to be in.

At the academy Judy had learned to utilize her natural abilities to help her out in certain scenarios. Besides being what Nick called "antennas of cuteness", her ears proved once again to be very valuable. As another night howler pellet whizzed past her she heard the faintest curse coming from the badger. Judy's large gray ears twitched as she picked up the badgers cursing along with the sound of air escaping a cylinder. She must have used her last round!

Judy took in a deep breath and prepared herself. She then turned the corner with her tranq gun raised and squeezed the trigger. There was a satisfying kick and the sound of air propelling a small dart out the barrel. The round flew straight and true and hit the badger right in arm where Judy had been aiming.

"Ah crap! You…got…to..be…"The badger began to say but the words slowed and she began to sway slightly. The tranquilizer in the dart took effect rather quickly and in seconds the badger was slumped on the floor, her chest rising as she fell into a deep sleep.

"One down!" Judy cheered as she took cover once more. She had lost track of the boar and didn't want to risk getting hit. She had a feeling it would be too much to ask for the boar to use his last rounds as quickly as his counterpart. Judy could bet that the boar would be a little harder to take down. She was also wondering where the larger mammal had wandered off to.

There was a loud crashing noise at the front of the shop followed by a series of cursing from both the boar and Nick. Judy's ears shot up and her eyes went wide as she heard Nick yelp in pain. "NICK!" She screamed as she jumped from her cover and ran down the aisle as quickly as she could. Amanda ran down the other side of the shelves as the two females tried to converge on the sound of a scuffle as quickly as they could.

Judy came around the corner first and saw Nick on the ground with the boar, trying to pin the large mammal to the ground. It obviously was taking everything Nick had to keep the boar down since his arm was still in a cast. Judy could see the pain in the fox's eyes as he did his best to keep his suspect on the ground. As Judy ran to help her partner she heard a sudden shot of air from the boar and then a sudden sting on her cheek. "Ah!" She let out in pain as she felt something splatter on her fur.

Amanda had rounded the corner as well and quickly took aim at the boar that was struggling to escape from Nick's grasp. Without hesitating the impala shot her tranq gun and put two rounds in the boar's rear. The suspect yelped in surprise and continued to struggle. Soon the large mammal's movements began to slow until the tranquilizer took effect. It was over.

Judy felt odd. It was almost as if her mind was losing control of her own actions. She slowly reached up and felt her cheek which was covered with some kind of sticky liquid that smelled funny. She looked at her paw as she pulled it away and saw it was covered with a dark purple liquid.

"Judy!" Nick shouted as he got up off the boar and began to limp over to her. Judy's eyes went wide as she held up a paw.

"Nick, don't!" Judy barked as she felt her arm begin to tense up. Her whole body was starting to fight back. She could feel her muscles begin to tense up and her vision had started to blur as everything turned a shade of purple. She had been hit with the night howler serum and it was starting to take hold. She felt her heart racing and couldn't tell if it was from fear or from the serum. Soon she would lose all control and lash out at anything close by. She couldn't stand the thought of her trying to hurt her fellow officers. Expesically Nick!

Panic began to show on the faces of her team mates and Judy could tell they didn't know what to do. What they should have done was tranq her but for some reason they were both frozen in shock as the bunny began to turn. Judy made the decision they seemed too hesitant to make. She tried to raise the tranq gun to her arm but her body was starting to completely lose control. She felt her paws begin to shake as she struggled to raise them. She just needed one spot that's it! Anywhere the tranquilizer dart could hit her fur would do! She struggled as she raised the tranq gun up a few inches till it was pressed against her butt.

Judy winced as she squeezed the trigger and felt a dart go into her butt cheek. The effects worked quickly and she soon felt herself become very drowsy.

'Wonder what kind of dream this is gonna cause?' Her inner voice questioned as the bunny began to sway. Judy remembered all the dreams she had had recently and what she did in the real-world while she was fast asleep. Her eyes went wide at the thought of Nick and Amanda watching the sleeping bunny. "No one watch….me….sleep!" She blurted out as she slowly fell to her knees and then to the floor. The last thing she saw was Nick limping over to her and slowly scooping her into his good arm.

"You're ok Carrots! I've got you!"

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **It's been kind of a long week for me at work so this chapter which was gonna have another section has been split up. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **-Blue**


	27. Night howlers Tranqs

Night howlers + Tranqs = Side effects

The storm hadn't hit yet but the clouds had turned a dark gray that hinted to the impending downpour that was to come. The sounds of distant thunder could be heard along with an odd rhythmic thumping. Judy blinked as she did her best to take in her surroundings. She was lying down on some kind of stone material as mammals hurried around her.

"Come on now wake up! You sleep more than a sloth!" Came a familiar female voice as Judy felt herself lifted from the stone she had just been laying on. It was somewhat confusing hearing this particular voice, especially since Trisha had been nowhere near Melvin's store earlier. Once Judy had been helped off the stone floor she turned to look at her friend.

Judy was about to ask Trisha what was going on when she noticed what the brown bunny was wearing. Trisha was clad in what could best be described as some kind of metal battle armor. It reminded Judy of a medieval film she had seen not too long ago with Nick. "The fair in town?" Judy began to ask as her head tilted slightly.

Trisha gave Judy a similarly odd look, "You alright sister?" The brown bunny asked as she placed a gauntleted hand on Judy's shoulder.

It was at this point Judy realized that she too was wearing a similar garb that her friend wore. The armor was a dull silver color that was covered with scratches and dents. The wardrobe had obviously seen several battles before. The chest piece hugged her frame tightly and only covered her from her shoulders down to just above her stomach. No fur was visible though as her legs and stomach were wrapped in a dark blue cloth. "What the hell…?" Judy mumbled as she examined her clothing.

"You must have been sleeping for ages, don't let the chief see you, especially on the eve of such a battle!" Trisha said as she gave Judy a pat on the shoulder and then hurried into the crowd of mammals.

Judy slowly scanned her surroundings in an attempt to understand what exactly was going on. Much to the bunny's annoyance however all she got was more questions. Mammals of different shapes and sizes all scurried around her. Some were carrying massive melee weapons while a few held bows in their paws. "Ok then…."Judy muttered as the scene continued to play out in front of her. Everyone was in armor of different styles but there was one constant. All of them carried some kind of blue cloth that was either wrapped around their foreheads or used in their armor.

"Judy!" Nick shouted from the crowd behind the confused rabbit.

"Thank goodness Nick!" Judy began to exclaim as she turned in the direction of her partner's voice. She froze when she saw the fox approaching, "Of course…" She muttered as her eyes fell on an armored clad Nick.

"Glad to see you have awaken from that slumber of yours!" Nick began as he approached the even more confused rabbit and placed both his arms on either of her shoulders.

"Nick what is going on?" Judy pleaded as she placed one of her paws on top of his. She was starting to get worried.

"The scouts have reported to have sighted the enemy, they are not far from our walls," Nick began to explain as he looked through the crowd of mammals and towards a small raised wall. When the fox looked back at Judy he noticed the look of concern on the bunny's face. "Do not fear my love, for we have slain many foes together before and I intend to slay countless more with you for years to come. This is not our final battle." Judy suddenly felt very fuzzy on the inside. She no longer cared about the madness that was happening around her. A pleased grin spread across her face as Nick placed a gloved paw on her cheek.

"Mmmm…your love?" Judy asked as she felt her cheeks go warm.

"Of course, I know I may not be the wisest of warriors but I am definitely not the dumbest, I would be a fool to not have you at my side both in battle and in life!" Nick proclaimed proudly as he looked lovingly into Judy's bright purple eyes.

"I like this Nick…"Judy mumbled as she closed her eyes happily.

"And I love this Judy..." Came Nick's soft voice. Judy felt her knees go weak as she heard the words leave her partners lips. Moments later she suddenly felt the same lips that had spoken such sweet words press against her own as Nick pulled her into a loving embrace.

'Don't care what's going on! As long as there is more of this' her inner voice cheered as the bunny began to shiver with delight.

Sadly the kiss only lasted a moment longer as a series of shouts emanated down the line of busy mammals.

"The Chief approaches!" Called out a large hippo who was completely covered in metal armor. At this all the mammals stopped what they were doing and spread out to make a path for their leader.

Nick took a step around Judy so he was standing behind her, both hands still resting on her shoulders. Judy enjoyed being like this. She gently placed a paw on his once more and gave it a gentle squeeze. The armor on her paw made a small noise and she instantly wished it was not there, she wanted to feel Nick's fur against her own.

A large figure slowly lumbered through the crowd of armor clad mammals. Bogo was fitted with a dark blue set of armor with a hint of gold trim. He looked especially fierce in his new outfit and Judy couldn't help but look at him with awe.

"Warriors! Our enemies approach! They think us to be easy prey!" Bogo began to bellow as he walked down the path in-between his warriors. "Today we have the pleasure to show them just how wrong they are!"

Many of the mammals around Bogo began to cheer and raise their weapons high into the air. Before Bogo could continue his speech however there was a shout from somewhere down the line. "Here they come!"

Suddenly everyone jumped into action. Mammals began to move towards the edge of the raised wall, drawing their weapons, and preparing to face some unseen force.

"This is it my brave bunny!" Nick said as Judy turned to look at her partner. "Whatever happens fight well and show them just what a bunny can do!" Before Judy could say anything Nick leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek. The fox then drew his sword and suddenly ran down the line of fellow mammals. Judy wanted to protest but Nick was gone before she could find the words.

Everything seemed to be slowing down at this point and Judy had a hard time understanding what was going on. Trisha came hopping up to the now dazed bunny and placed a paw on her shoulder. "Come on now! Don't want to miss out on all the fun!" Trisha then began to push Judy towards the edge of the wall so they could properly see the source of all this trouble.

Judy was suddenly very worried to look over the edge of the wall. Worried that some hideous beasts were waiting just out of view. There was a loud stomping noise now coming from over the wall and Judy could tell whatever was making the noise was large, angry, and had a lot of friends.

As Trisha brought Judy to the edge the gray bunny took a deep breath and peered over the large stone turrets and down at the ground far below. The sight was not something she had been expecting. Down at the bottom of the large stone wall stood what looked to be thousands of giant carrots. All of them had muscular orange arms and legs. Some were pounding against the wall while others were making rude hand gestures towards the mammals that were staring down at them.

"Look at them! Filthy beasts!" Trisha spat out as she drew a bow that had been slung on her back. Several other mammals began to approach the walls, all of them drawing various weapons as they prepared to attack.

"Yeah…I guess..." Judy muttered as she looked down the line of her fellow warriors, her eyes searching for Nick. "Um…what's the plan?" Judy began to ask. There was a loud horn that trumpeted in the distance and at once all the mammals on the wall suddenly took a leap forward and dove into the mass of carrots down below.

"Wait Trisha!" Judy yelled as she quickly reached out to her friend. It was too late though as the brown bunny let out a battle cry and dove into the orange mass below. "Oh cheese and crackers!" Judy yelled out as she lost her footing while trying to reach out to Trisha. Judy tried her best but was unable to balance herself and slowly tumbled over the wall and down into the battle below.

When Judy hit the dirt ground she didn't feel any pain. She was still slightly dazed though and took a second to understand where she was. As the confused bunny looked around she watched with some amusement as Trisha drew an arrow from the quiver on her back and began to unleash a volley of arrows into the carroty ranks. Even though the carrots were roughly the size of an adult polar bear they all fell quickly. Many of the carrots tried to charge at the warriors in blue, flailing large orange arms and making odd gurgling noises. However the warriors proved to be too much for the carrots and the vegetables were quickly cut down.

Judy was starting to chuckle as she realized just how easy the carrots were to take down and she slowly stood up and brushed the dust from her armor. "Come on Judy, you are falling behind, I already have 14!" Trisha teased as she let another arrow loose into the mob of evil carrots.

"Oh 14? That's nice…..for a beginner!" Judy shouted as she started to get into the swing of things. She remembered her training and charged head first into the ranks. She was never a fan out using a large sword or axe. Judy had always used daggers and smaller blades when in training. She quickly drew a hidden blade and thrust it into a charging carrot which fell to the ground after being struck.

The first kill always brought on a form of adrenaline for Judy. She could remember many battles before where she had been nervous. After the first kill however she always managed to get into the groove of things. She had memories of the time she stormed a large stone Keep that had been guarded by a band mercenary cabbages. After the first kill she managed to slaughter the rest of the group with ease. Or there was the time a marauding group of tomatoes had attacked her encampment in the mountains. They had never stood a chance when she got close to them.

The battle at hand though was truly the largest one she had ever taken part in. Within a few minutes she had managed to slaughter dozens of enemy carrots. The battle was growing long though and she could feel herself growing weak for some unknown reason. As another carrot charged at her she threw her knife right into the center of its orange mass. The carrot gurgled and then fell to the ground motionless.

Judy wanted to run over and retrieve her blade but her boots suddenly gained a great deal of weight. "What's happening to me?" She muttered out as she struggled to keep her eyes open. The battle was raging on around her as more and more carrots were brought down. Judy could see Trisha jumping on top of a large carrot and riding it away. She turned to see Clawhauser standing over a carrot while holding another over his head with a pair of muscular arms. Bogo was off in the distance standing in front of two carrots, shouting at them with such force that the two enemies just burst into a large orange cloud.

"Help…."Judy let out in a soft whisper as she tried to move. Her body though wouldn't and she began to panic. What was happening? What sorcery had caused her to lose control of her muscles? A large orange figure was suddenly towering above her. Even though the carrot had no eyes she could tell the beast was looking down at her. "Get back beast!" She spat as the carrot began to lean closer. "Back!" She shouted again.

The carrot obviously wasn't getting the hint. Judy was struggling to keep her eyes open at this point. Panic filled her mind at the thought of being taken down by a mere carrot soldier. That was no death for the famous Judy of Bunny Burrow! With every last bit of strength she could muster Judy clenched her fist and then threw the strongest punch she could muster.

Judy's fist landed right in the center of her target. She could feel her gray fur against the warm orange fur that covered her enemy. "Wait…he's soft? He feels warm just like…"

-Meanwhile outside of Judy's odd dream world-

Nick was leaning over Judy as the small gray bunny began to toss and turn in her hospital bed. They had only arrived at Rainforest medical center a few minutes ago after the shootout at Melvin's shop. The other members of the team had stayed behind in order to secure the scene and gather what evidence they could.

Nick however had opted to go with Judy. During the scuffle at the shop Judy had been hit by a night howler pellet and had used her own tranquilizer gun to knock herself out so she wouldn't attack her friends. Though Judy was not exactly in a life threatening condition Nick worried none the less and refused to leave his partners side. It took some convincing but Nick had managed to talk the paramedics into letting him ride along with his unconscious partner.

The small bunny had been out for roughly half an hour and the tranquilizer was finally beginning to wear off. Judy must have been having a very vivid dream since she was constantly moaning and tossing around in her hospital bed. Nick was starting to grow concerned as Judy began to let out odd noises. Whatever she was dreaming about was obviously very dramatic in nature.

"Carrots? You ok? Hey wake up!" Nick muttered as he reached out and gently placed his good paw on the bunny's shoulder. He looked up worryingly around the empty hospital room. After the medics had brought Judy in they had dropped her off in this room and a nurse advised a doctor would see them shortly. Since Judy was still out there hadn't been much of a rush for a doctor to be present. This annoyed Nick. Sure she was just sleeping and of course Judy was strong and would pull through. The fox though still didn't like the fact that no one was there to at least offer some kind of help.

Judy began to mumble in her sleep and Nick quickly leaned closer to try and hear what his partner was saying, "Back…zzzzz...beast…" The sleeping bunny mumbled as she smacked her lips.

"Judy? You ok?" Nick let out in a low whisper.

"Zzzz…back…zzz" Judy let out again.

Nick began to chuckle as he could only imagine the odd dream that must be filling the bunny's mind at that moment. "Beast? What beast?" Nick whispered.

Judy didn't say another word though. Instead she suddenly clenched her paw into a fist and will a great deal of strength for a mammal her size she threw her fist directly into Nick's face. The hit took Nick by surprise and he suddenly felt himself thrown away from the bed. "What the hell?!" The fox shouted out as he covered his now bruised eye.

"Nick?" Judy asked in a dazed state as she began to awaken from her slumber. As the bunny started to return to reality she winced and suddenly shook her paw. She couldn't explain why but she felt as if she had just had her paw slammed in a book, or a hit a chair, or maybe punched someone. "Nick?" Judy said in a more frantic manner as she realized she was no longer fighting giant carrots.

A sudden wave of memories came flooding back. They had been in a fire fight of sorts. She had been hit with a night howler round. "Oh god, did the tranquilizer work? Did I hurt anyone?" Judy thought frantically as she gaged her surroundings. Nick was holding his good paw to a now bruised eye as he looked back at Judy.

"It's ok Carrots! You are ok!" The fox said as he practically ran back to his partner's bedside.

"Nick! What happened? I remember getting hit and then I knocked myself out! What happened to your eye?!" Judy asked in rapid succession. She felt as if she couldn't get the words out fast enough.

"Well first off… you punch like a damn rhino!" Nick muttered as he slowly lowered his paw as his eye began to swell up slightly. "Secondly we are at the medical center in the rainforest district, so at least I can get my head checked out right away!"

Judy placed both her paws over her mouth and let out a startled gasp. "Oh my gosh! Nick I am so sorry! I was having this dream that I was being attacked by a carrot! It got me and I had to fight it off!" Judy tried to explain, realizing how dumb it all must have sounded as she described what her dream had been about.

"Giant… carrots..? Well I think you would have won that fight." Nick muttered as he scanned the room for something to help him with his eye. Though they were in a medical center it didn't look like there would be anything to help with his eye, "You think they would have some kind of fridge or something with ice packs! It's a hospital for crying out loud!" Nick muttered as he looked back at Judy. To the fox's surprise Judy was no longer on the bed. Instead she was now standing in front of Nick with a look of concern.

"Let me see it," Judy said softly as she reached up and gently placed her paws on either of the fox's cheeks. Nick sighed as he turned his head slightly so Judy could get a better look. The fox couldn't explain why but his heart rate suddenly increased when he felt Judy's paws against his fur.

"Give it to me straight doc, how long do I have?" Nick asked playfully as he looked down at Judy who was studying the shiner she had just given Nick.

"Bad news, looks like you aren't gonna make it," Judy teased as she gave Nick a sweet smile followed by a playful wink.

Maybe it was the wink or the sudden head trauma but Judy had never looked prettier to Nick then she did right then. Her smile was so bright and her purple eyes were filled with a caring that Nick was still not fully used to. She was perfect. How had it taken this long to realize it?

'Is he leaning down?' Judy's inner voice questioned. Judy's ears raised slightly as she began to study her partner.

It didn't take very long for Judy to realize it. Nick was getting closer to her. Her heart started to race as Nick began to lean down towards Judy. 'Is this happening? Like for real?' The voice in the bunny's mind asked excitedly. Judy suddenly felt Nick's good arm gently slide onto her waist and she let out a gasp of excitement. 'It is! It's finally happening!'

Judy suddenly felt both anxious and excited as she slowly slid her paws from Nick's cheeks and gently onto his chest. She could feel the fox's quickening heart beat which just excited her even more. He was obviously nervous which told her that he was about to do something he hadn't done before.

Judy began to raise up on her toes in order to bring Nick closer to his goal just a little faster. Nick was so close now it would only be a few more moments! Judy slowly closed her eyes as she prepared to feel Nick against her in a way she had dreamt about for what felt like ages.

There was a sudden knocking on the hospital door which caused the couple to jump. Nick suddenly removed his arm from around Judy's waist and stood up straight. Judy remained where she was however, a look of obvious disappointment on her face as she looked from Nick and then to the now open door.

An armadillo in a doctor's jacket strode into the room, "Officer Hopps! Sorry to keep you…wai…ting..."The Doctor began to say but froze as he looked up from his chart over at Judy.

If looks could kill the doctor would have been turned into dust. He had no idea what he had just walked in on and the moment he had accidently killed. It was a moment Judy had been waiting for. Sadly though the moment had passed and she was left with thoughts of what she had just missed out on. Judy now had fire in her eyes as she glared at the poor doctor.

"No worries Doc!" Nick exclaimed as he stood up from his seat, "Say, you wouldn't happen to have an ice pack would ya? My partner likes to play rough in bed!"

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **First off sorry for the silent treatment! Lots of stuff has been going on recently!**

 **Still working on getting all this stuff edited. Both my editor and I have been very busy lately and are still working on giving you all a more grammar correct story!**

 **This chapter is still under review but we wanted to get it posted so you all had something to read!**

 **Also big announcement! There is a new story out there by me. Its called: We Just Call Them Extras.**

 **It is going to be a sort of collection of specials, requests, and odd shorts I decided to write that didnt make it into this main story.**

 **The Christmas special will be posted very shortly in there and it is worth a read...a very long read!**

 **If you get a chance and you enjoy this story you should go check it out!**

 **Hope you all have an awesome holiday season!**

 **-Blue**


	28. Somewhat Bitter

Somewhat Bitter

"We were so close!" Judy thought to herself as she looked at Nick and then to the young armadillo in the doctors coat. Moments before the doctor had entered the room. Judy and Nick had found themselves closer than they had ever found themselves before. Nick had been holding her in a gentle embrace. His eyes had been filled with a want she had never seen before. She was almost certain that had they been given a few more seconds in private the two would have finally embraced in a way Judy had been dreaming about for some time. She wished she could go back in time and lock the door, maybe tell the doctor to leave, or just jumped up and closed the small space between the two partners. To know that they were so close to a kiss only to be stopped was a bit much for Judy. She felt almost felt a little angry.

Judy suddenly realized both the doctor and Nick were staring nervously at her. Their eyes filled with both concern and a slight touch of fear. "You ok carrots?" Nick asked nervously as he took a slow step towards Judy, his paw raised out defensively.

"What?" Judy asked as she looked over at the two shocked mammals standing on the other side of the room. When she didn't receive an answer she clenched her paws, "WHAT!?" She practically shouted.

Nick didn't jump back like the doctor did but he did stop for a moment and gave Judy a hesitant look as he tilted his head in concern. "Carrots. You were growling." Nick said in a low and calm manner. Judy could see right through the act and it frightened her. He used this same tone on suspects that would normally try to run or escape custody after. What was going on? Why was he treating her like this?

She suddenly realized her muscles were all tense and she was standing in an attack stance. One leg was bent ready to propel her towards her enemies. No that wasn't right. There were no enemies here. Just her partner and a doctor who was standing behind Nick.

A look of pure fear slowly formed on the bunny's face as tears began to well up in her large purple eyes. "Nick? What's happening?"

Judy could feel anger course through her. Then she felt fear. Only to have all of that replaced by sadness. The emotions inside her changed rapidly and she could not understand why. She felt her legs go weak as she began to collapse to the ground and sob. Nick however never let her touch the floor.

With both speed and tenderness he was upon her and scooped the now shaking bunny into his arms. He held the hysterical rabbit close as she began to shiver. As Nick tried to comfort Judy he looked over at the armadillo with a pleading look. The doctor looked completely at a loss for words for a moment but then a look of determination crossed his face. "Let's get her back on the bed," he ordered as he nodded towards the hospital bed. "Officer Hopps I need you to slow that breathing of yours! Deep breaths!"

Nick followed the command and gently lifted Judy as best he could. The fox let out a wince as his broken arm shot pain through him in protest. He ignored the pain however and carefully laid Judy down. Judy was starting to calm down once more but her eyes were still shut as tears rolled down her cheeks. Nick scooped one of his partner's paws into his own and gave her a gentle squeeze. The act seemed to calm Judy even more as she opened her eyes, her breathing starting to come to a slow and steady rate.

The doctor was behind Nick talking rapidly into a phone on a counter. When he finished his short conversation he strolled over to the bed.

Judy was taking deep and slow breaths as she looked from Nick and then to the doctor. She couldn't help but notice the armadillo eyes lingering on the partner's paws which were entwined on the bed. The doctor looked over at Nick with an odd look but then focused on the task at hand. Judy instantly missed Dr. Sweet with her gentle touch. The armadillo was a little rough as he turned the bunny's head slightly and examined the patch of fur which was still dyed a light purple from the night howler hit.

"Well it was obviously absorbed," The doctor began to mutter as he then looked into Judy's purple eyes which had a tinge of red from her crying. "Your eye movement is somewhat erratic."

It was at this point the armadillo looked back at Nick, "sir I am gonna have to ask you to leave, I need to examine..." The doctor began but was cut off.

"No!" Judy almost shouted as she gripped Nick's paw slightly tighter in her own.

Both Nick and the doctor jumped at Judy's outburst and both mammals looked at the bunny who was lying in bed. "I need him here," she said in almost a whisper.

Nick looked at Judy with a nervous smile, "you sure carrots?"

Judy just nodded quickly and looked over at the doctor, "please doctor Um… doctor?" Judy began only to realize the doctor hadn't had a chance to introduce herself because of her sudden fits of emotion.

"Bitter, Dr. Bitter," the armadillo said with a hint of kindness in his voice. "And it is highly unusual but if you consent to your um….partner…to be present then I guess he can sit in."

Judy bit her lip and then nodded quickly. She looked over at Nick and gave him a nervous smile, "You ok watching my back?" Judy asked meekly.

Nick just gave her a smirk and nodded, "I promise only to take like 3 pictures tops!" He teased which caused Judy to let out a giggle.

Dr. Bitter looked over at Nick and then back at Judy and gave a small shrug. Though he didn't say it he was obviously a little un nerved at the duo's relationship. Judy though chose to ignore this and just looked over at Nick while she was looked over by her doctor.

The armadillo started with Judy's cheek and took a small sample of her fur. Even though she was warned she still let out a wince when he plucked some of the fur from her cheek. "Sorry officer, but I need a full sample down to the base, otherwise we could just cut a sample." The doctor apologized. Judy was really missing Dr. Sweet at this moment and wondered if her current examiner would feel insulted if she asked to be transferred to the lioness in the other district.

'Bet Sweet would let Nick stay with no problem, she might even give us a little more alone time!' Judy's inner voice piped up as Judy winced again at the doctor's sharp handling.

"You know she is willing to give you the information you want without the torture there doc," Nick muttered from the corner of the room as he watched Judy wince once more.

Both Judy and Dr. Bitter looked over at the fox. Judy with a mildly amused look while the armadillo glared. "Officer If you would like to come over and feel up your partner that's fine, but for now I need to gather what information I can. This is an extremely odd case!"

"Haven't you dealt with Night howlers before Doctor?" Judy asked, doing her best to keep Nick and the armadillo focused on her and not one another's quarrel.

"Yes, two from the previous attacks," Dr. Bitter began to explain as he looked back at Judy. Fortunately the physician missed the rather rude paw gesture that Nick was giving the armadillos back. "However you must understand this is particular instance is unique." The doctor explained as he continued his examination, oblivious to Nick making faces behind him.

Judy had a confused look on her face and the doctor looked surprised, "Officer Hopps surely you understand the circumstances we find ourselves in. You are the first prey mammal to be hit with the night howler serum. I have read up on the night howler attacks, well the old ones at least, this stuff is very nasty to begin with. However it was primarily engineered with Predators in mind. We have never seen it used on prey so we have no idea what lasting effects it may have."

It was at this point a doe in nurse's scrubs slowly entered the room. She was holding a tray that caused Judy to tense up suddenly with slight fear. The tray had a small blue band, some bandages, a few empty vials, a pair of latex gloves and a very large and menacing looking syringe.

"Ah thank you Sara!" Dr. Bitter exclaimed as he scooted out of the nurse's way.

The doe placed the tray on a counter next to Judy's bed. The small bunny was staring at the syringe on the tray and looked like she was starting to go pale.

"No problem Doctor," The doe said sweetly as she turned to Dr. Bitter, "Also we have called Sahara Regional as you requested. We were unable to reach Dr. Badger but a Dr. Sweet said she is familiar with the latest night howler information and would be giving you a call shortly."

At this point the doe then turned to Judy, "Dr. Sweet also said to pass on her regards and said for…you. To…are you alright ma'am?" The nurse's words slowed as she looked at Judy with concern.

Judy was slowly inching away from the tray with the evil needles and was actually a paler shade of gray than normal. It was obvious she was petrified at the thought of being stuck.

Nick leapt into action and quickly crossed the room. "She hates getting blood drawn," He explained calmly as he climbed up into the bed. Judy looked at the nurse and then quickly over to Nick.

"Hey Carrots, come on now we got this," Nick said lovingly as if he was talking to a small cub. Judy however was starting to shake.

She couldn't explain why but she was terrified of having her own blood drawn. Which was odd since she had had no problem using a tranq gun on herself just an hour prior. Something had always unnerved her at the thought of her own blood being taken out that way. She had been cut, hit, and slashed at while on the force and took it all in stride. If anything it gave her drive to be tougher and harder. However the instant a needle was used to draw blood she felt like she would throw up. It was an irrational fear that she had told Nick about during their time together. Though he made a little fun at first he promised that if he was ever present he would look after her.

"Oh come on now officer, it's just a little prick!" The armadillo muttered as he shook his head.

"Doc, anyone ever compliment your bedside manner?" Nick shot back sarcastically as he reached out and gently grabbed one of Judy's paws and gave it a confident squeeze, "Alright Carrots, it will be real quick, I am right here."

The nurse began to put the blue medical gloves on and gave Judy a warm smile, "Don't worry dear, I am quite good at this, we will be done before you know it I promise. You want me to do a count down?"

Judy shook her head as she continued to look at the needle sitting on the tray. The nurse looked desperately over at Nick for some kind of help. Though Nick hadn't taken his eyes off his partner he took the hint. "How about this?" Nick said as he climbed up onto the bed and gently scooted behind Judy so she was sitting in between his legs. The fox then angled his casted arm so it was underneath Judy's. Judy's arm laid out on the cast and was perfecting angled for the nurse to do her work. With his free paw Nick began to gently stroke Judy's ears which were drooped behind her head.

"Better…"Judy muttered as she tilted her head back against her fox's chest and looked up at him. "I'm sorry, I don't know what is going on with me! I feel so out of it!" Judy tried to explain.

"Almost as if you were shot with night howler and then hit with a tranquilizer? No idea why you would be feeling like that Hopps, sounds like you have been having too many wild parties lately!" Nick teased as he looked down at his partner.

"Well my partner has been keeping me up a lot lately, he is a bit on the Wilde side!" Judy teased, her voice still shaking slightly but her smile was growing a little more confident.

"Oh geeze we have been hanging out too much," Nick shot back as he shook his head at the cheesy pun.

Judy winced suddenly as she felt the needle penetrate her skin. The nurse was very good at what she did. Judy hadn't felt the sanitizing of the spot or realized the doe had wrapped an arm band just above the source so she could get a better sample.

"You remember the paint party?" Nick said softly as he continued to stroke Judy's ears as she kept her eyes closed and moved her head away from the arm that was currently stuck.

"Yeah, you make a handsome carrot," Judy muttered, obviously not enjoying the procedure as she squirmed a little. Nick held Judy a little tighter and she let out a breath and then sat still in his arms.

"I was about to say you make a very cute fox," Nick said playfully. Judy had her eyes closed and couldn't see the look of surprise on the nurses face at the word cute, "I am allowed to use that word don't worry ma'am."

Judy began to giggle as she put two and two together, "It's alright, I will just put his other arm in a cast later."

"What, you driving us somewhere?" Nick shot back playfully. Though one of Judy's arms was currently being held gently by the nurse Judy had a spare elbow to jab into the fox's ribs.

"Anyways, we gotta go back to the beach block district again sometime soon!" Nick said after catching his breath from the jab.

"Sounds fun," Judy muttered.

"Darn straight, there is jet skiing, surfing, bunnies in bikinis, maybe you can invite Trisha bet she would look great in one," Nick began to list off a few things. Even the nurse was giggling at the fox's antics.

"Who said anything about bikinis?!" Judy shot back

"What? You want to hit up the nude beach instead? Didn't take you for that kind of bunny Carrots. Of course I remember our first case, think you enjoyed that naturalist club a little too much" Nick teased.

"You're lucky there is a needle in me right now," Judy muttered and shivered at the thought.

"Well there is some good news and bad news about that," The nurse began to mutter softly. Judy's eyes shot open suddenly in panic. "The good news for Judy is I have already finished and she has a fresh bandage, hope you don't mind Captain Cougar, it's all I had."

Judy looked down at her arm and saw there was now a small green band aid on her fur. A smiling cougar in a cape was across the center. "Awww, Captain Cougar!" Judy said as her childish side took over. She had watched the famous hero on Saturday mornings when she was younger.

"The bad news is for Nick," The nurse continued as she placed a vial filled with crimson on the tray and looked back at the couple, "Because now the bunny you have been teasing has her paws free!"

"Oh no," Nick muttered as he tried to slide away from Judy. It wasn't much use because he had positioned himself so closely to the bunny to comfort her during the ordeal. Now that she was free of fright Judy turned her attention to Nick and began to poke him sharply in the ribs. "Ah geeze! Stop! How are your paws so sharp?!"

The partners playfulness was cut short however as Dr. Bitter stepped in and cleared his throat. This caused the other three mammals in the room to stop and look over at the doctor. Nick and Judy quickly separated and sat next to one another on the bed "If you wouldn't mind Sara, I need that sample from officer Hopps rushed down to the lab, tell them I need it screened right away! All other jobs are on hold!"

Sara quickly jumped into action and whisked the tray with the vial of Judy's blood out of the room.

"And you two!" Dr. Bitter said sternly as he focused his attention on the two officers still sitting in bed, both realizing they may have been a little more open in front of the doctor than they should have been. "If I leave you two for just a minute do you think you could keep it civilized?"

Judy turned a shade of red she didn't think was possible as Nick just sat with a bemused look on his face. 'Just say yes, get the doctor out of the room! Quickly! Get him to leave, close the door, and then the fox is all yours!' Judy's inner voice demanded.

"Yes Dr. Bitter, sorry for before," Judy muttered as she looked from Nick and then back at the armadillo.

"It's alright officer Hopps," Dr. Bitter began as he strode towards the door. Before he left the room however he took a moment to look back at the two, "I am sorry as well, I can sometimes be a little grating or tough, some of my patients aren't fans, but just know I do what I must to keep everyone healthy. Sometimes that means less than gentle hands." With that the doctor left the room and closed the door behind him.

"So, how's the arm?" Nick asked as he continued to look at the now closed hospital room door.

"Still stings," Judy said as she looked down at the green bandage, "How is your arm?"

Nick chuckled as he looked down at the cast, "Still itches, hopefully it will be coming off soon. Gotta go see that doctor over at…" Nick stopped mid-sentence. He had been resting his good paw on the bed and he suddenly felt Judy place her gray paw on top as she gently intertwined her fingers in his.

"So what was that before?" Judy asked, deciding it would be in her best interest to just jump in. She was tired of waiting. Maybe it was the recent events but she felt her emotions constantly at war. Right now a particular emotion was dominating inside her.

"Don't worry about it," Nick muttered, not making eye contact with Judy.

Judy's ears had been perked up ever since the door had closed. Her whole body language exuded confidence and excitement. The words that left Nick's mouth however completely threw her through a loop. "What? What do you mean don't worry about it?" She asked as her ears drooped and she scooted closer to Nick.

"I was just a little swept up in the moment, that's all!" Nick said in the same tone. Judy could detect a nervousness in his voice and it confused her.

"Swept up? What does that even mean?" Judy asked, her voice growing slightly louder.

Nick couldn't think of the words to say so he remained silent. He took in a slow breath and then turned to look over at Judy, his emerald eyes full of a sadness. Judy however didn't care about the emotion in his eyes.

"That was a kiss wasn't it!? That was where we were going!" Judy demanded. The bunny's eyes were filled with a slight anger and her ears now shot back up.

"I wasn't thinking straight…" Nick regretted the words before they had even finished leaving him.

"You weren't thinking?" Judy shouted more than asked. "So it was a mistake to get that close to me? Not wanting to ruin our so called friendship?!"

"Carrots calm..."Nick tried to say.

Judy leapt from the bed though and now stood in front of her partner. Her paws formed shaking fist as she clenched her teeth. "Carrots? Is that all this is ever going to be? A friendship with little nicknames and playful banter?! Am I just some kind of place card till you find the one? I thought I was the one? But apparently all I am is some kind of play thing to mess with and then leave out to dry!"

Judy felt out of sorts. An anger brewed inside her and try as she might it refused to stay in and instead poured out into the room as she continued to berate Nick.

To Nick's merit the fox just sat with a look of shock on his face. As Judy began to unload her frustration of their relationship on him he did not speak up, interrupt, or do anything. Instead he sat and listened. This just infuriated Judy even more until she was inches from his face. Continuing to spew out hateful words.

"Without me you would still be scamming hamsters with pawpciscles!" Judy finished her tirade and remained just an inch away from Nick's face, her breathing labored as she tried to catch her breath.

As silence filled the room as the two remained where they were. Judy wanted Nick to say something. To defend his case or shout back at her. Instead what she got was a dose of why he was the greatest fox in Zootopia. Nick closed the gap and gave Judy a gentle kiss on the nose. The fox then pulled back and admired his handy work. Maybe it was because Nick and Judy had worked together for so long or maybe it was just the fox's cunning ability to read Judy like a book. Whatever it was the kiss was all it took to banish the anger inside her. Sadly though a new emotion flooded out as Judy's eyes began to well up with tears.

"Oh gosh Nick…"Judy began to say. She wanted to apologize for every last evil thing she had said to him in the past few minutes but Nick didn't let her. As Judy opened her mouth to shout her forgiveness for all to her Nick gently placed a finger to her lips.

"How about we skip the apologies and just get you right into the hug we both know you desperately want," Nick said confidently.

Judy burst into tears at Nick's words. "Oh Nick, what's happening to me?" She asked as she was pulled into a warm embrace by her partner.

"It's ok Carrots, we got this, we got this," Nick whispered as he gently pulled Judy up onto the bed so she could rest in his arms. The bunny did not protest and simply curled up and nuzzled into her partners chest as more tears began to roll down her cheek. Judy wasn't sobbing but her cheeks were quickly matted with tears.

The two sat in silence for a while. Nick held Judy close and would slowly run his good paw down one of her arms and then back up in a soothing manner. Judy was no longer shaking and the tears seemed to have stopped. Maybe it was best just to rest and not think of things. Every time a thought popped into her head it would be followed by some kind of strong emotion that would attempt to take over. Judy would quickly banish the thought from her mind and just focused on Nick. Her face was just an inch or two away from his chest and she just stared at one of the large green flowers that was printed on his pawaiian shirt.

Maybe it was the emotional rollercoaster she had been riding for the past few minutes or maybe there was still some tranquilizer in her. Whatever it was Judy found her eye lids growing heavy and Nick was now slowly rocking back in forth which was slowly lulling Judy into a light sleep.

"Rest up carrots, I'll wake you when they get back," Nick whispered as he looked down at his partner who was curled up in his arms.

Judy let out a soft moan in response as she allowed her eyes to close completely and her breathing slowed. It didn't take long for the bunny to drift off into what would be a welcomed nap.

For the first time in what felt like ages she did not have one of her odd dreams. She would later try to figure out what could cause this. Was it the night howlers? No because she had that battle dream thanks to them. Was it the stress? No that wasn't it. Though Judy didn't want to admit it there was one key factor involved with this sleep compared to all the others she had had before: Nick. As long as he was there she didn't need anything else. Not even dreams.

As Judy slept Nick watched over her. Every once and a while he would run a gentle paw over her ears which caused her to let our a soft moan. The fox smirked as he watched over his partner. As the minutes past Nick was left alone with his own thoughts and he began to mull over the situation they had found themselfs in. Judy had been through so very much in the past few days. Though his arm was still wrapped in a cast he did not concern himself with his own injuries. It was all about Judy. She had been in a car crash, shot at, and now her emotions were no longer able to control themselves. He cursed himself for almost messing things up minutes before. What would have happened if he had made the final leap? She would become so emotionally invested in what they had if he let her. Thats just how Judy was. She was the type of mammal that would give someone 110% of her attention if they needed it!

What would happen if they tried things out? What would happen in her current state if things didnt work out between them. Judy was strong. There was no doubting that but the thought of her having to face even more hardships was painful to think about. Nick let out a soft sigh as Judy continued to rest in his lap. There was no point in worrying about it at that moment. What was important right then and there was Judy and how beautiful she looked even when she slept.

* * *

 **So here we are stuck in another hospital room. See the way I write these things is I just let the words come pouring out and I just type them. I have no real idea what I am doing half the time! Apparently though I am obsessed with hospitals right now though.**

 **I am busting Judy out of the hospital though soon! Also get ready to return to the 10-7!**

 **As a reminder please check out: We Just Call Them Extras!**

 **My phone died the other day so I havent been able to write much but I have new chapters in the works for both stories!**

 **Also get ready! A certain someone is on their way...they make even me nervous..and I am the one who created them.**


	29. Side Effects

Side effects

"Carrots…" Came a gentle whisper.

Judy let out a soft moan as her ears twitched. She ignored the whisper and gently nuzzled into what she thought was the warmest pillow she had ever had. She didn't want to wake up at this point. The pillow smelt so much like Nick it was like she cuddling right into her partner.

"Hey carrots," Came another whisper, this time followed by a paw gently stroking her ears.

"Nooo…." Judy let out quietly as she kept her eyes closed. It wasn't time for work, her alarm would have gone off.

"Officer Hopps!" Came a sharp shout.

This did the trick. Judy's eyes shot open and she nearly jumped out of Nick's lap as she was brought back into reality. It took Judy a second to remember where she was, she had been in such a deep sleep that she had completely lost track of the world.

She was still in the hospital room where she had been brought after being shot with night howler. She remembered the examination and how unpleasant it was. Then she remembered getting very drowsy and falling asleep. Judy's eyes went wide as she looked where she currently was in the room. She was sitting now on one of Nick's knees, still practically in is lap. The gray bunny looked slowly up at Nick and let out a weak smile.

"Sleep well?" Nick asked playfully as he gave his partner a wink.

Judy didn't say a word as her cheeks began to warm and she nodded slightly. She then focused her attention to the other mammal in the room. Much to her dismay Dr. Bitter was sitting in a chair by the small bed. His look said it all and Judy suddenly realized how inappropriate it might be for her to remain on Nick's lap in this fashion. Reluctantly she climbed off the fox's lap and sat next to him on the bed. Looking from Dr. Bitter and back to Nick.

"Thanks for not drooling on me," Nick teased, causing the tension in the room to soften.

"Thanks for being a good pillow!" Judy mumbled as she rubbed her eyes.

"For you, anytime," Nick whispered as he studied the rabbit with a warm friendly look. Judy let out a sigh as she felt her heart skip. Even after that mild fight earlier he still knew how to make her fall for him all over again.

"It's not like I have other patients or anything," Dr. Bitter grumbled. The two officers looked over at the doctor, each with their own expression. Judy had an apologetic look and her ears drooped slightly. Nick however had fire in his eyes as if he intended to take the armadillo out back and hit him with something heavy.

The doctor opened a small folder he had attached to his clip board and skimmed some lines of information before looking back at Judy. "Officer Hopps, as your current doctor I would like to advise you that the information I am about to read you is personal and I would suggest having Officer Wilde wait outside."

Judy simply shook her head which caused her drooped ears to flap slightly, "No, he stays," She said firmly as she reached out and scooped up Nick's good paw in her own. Judy could just see out of the corner of her eye Nick look down and smile before looking back at the doctor.

Dr. Bitter let out a sigh and rolled his eyes, "Very well. So let me bring you up to speed on what is going on before I tell you what we have to do to keep you healthy." The doctor took a moment to skim through his notes and then looked back at the couple sitting on the bed.

"We have the results from your blood work. Lab said you must lead a very healthy lifestyle. They also said that there is still somethings lingering in your blood. The night howler serum you were hit with is still there. We notified the research team at Sahara Regional and a Dr. Badger informed me that it has something to do with protein." As the doctor explained Judy grew slightly confused and it must have shown on her face as the armadillo paused for a moment and contemplated what to say next.

"See Officer Hopps this particular serum was made for predators. When hit it is absorbed quickly into the skin and spreads through the body. This particular strain was designed with a kind of timer apparently so it is not permanent. How the mammals responsible did this was by protein. You see the serum is apparently absorbed by high levels of protein in ones body and quickly burned away which causes the reaction to halt. You as a prey mammal do not require that kind of quick absorption so your body only took what it needed and stored the rest for later."

Judy could tell that this was the dumbed down version of what was happening to her. To Dr. Bitter's merit though he didn't sound condescending or mean when explaining it. He sounded as if he actually had a general concern for his patient. He may have been a little rough and grating at first but hearing his tone now made Judy appreciate the doctor a little more.

"So what does that mean for Judy?" Nick asked calmly. Dr. Bitter looked over at Nick as if addressing a member of Judy's family. There was no longer a look of contempt but rather a look of assurance.

"Well it means that she will have to deal with some side effects for a little while longer. This is an uncharted area though. We have no idea how long this will last or what kind of things will happen. Our best guess is that she will be experiencing intense mood swings like we saw earlier. Along with a mild form of aggression." The doctor explained as he leaned forward in his chair. "Now I have already spoken to Dr. Sweet and I have been made aware just how….driven you could be when it comes to returning to work."

Judy already didn't like where this was going. She squeezed Nick's paw slightly as she looked at the doctor with determination.

"I am afraid Officer Hopps, until we can confirm you are no longer compromised by the night howlers effects, I cannot allow you to return to work."

Though Judy had prepared herself for the words it still surprised her. This was different than before. This wasn't some physical injury that should could just fight through. This was something out of her paws which she hated. She began to think of different excuses and scenarios to use in order to convince the doctor she should return to duty.

"Dr. Bitter we are in the middle of a very large case!" Judy began as she sat up straighter and looked directly at the doctor, "I can't be taken off this case! There is someone out there who…" Judy tried to explain but as the armadillo In front of her leaned back in his chair casually she felt her anger began to rise. How could he act so calm right now? She had been shot at and he was now sitting there with a smug look on his face. She hated that look. She was tempted to jump out of her seat and slug him.

Judy hadn't realized it but she had stopped speaking and was now clenching her teeth as she glared at the doctor.

"Problem officer?" the doctor asked casually as he folded his arms.

"Yeah, I have an idiot for a doctor!" Judy growled.

The surprise on Nick's face caused Judy to realize she had messed up. She would never had said that and growling was not normally a very Judy thing to do.

The armadillo simply held out his palm towards Judy as if presenting some kind of discovery, "I rest my case."

Judy's eyes went wide as she realized what had just happened. The doctor had tricked her, which could be the only explanation! Rage began to form deep down inside her and she felt her muscles tensing up. She felt like she was about to pounce on the doctor and make him regret using that tactic.

"Carrots." Nick said plainly as he looked down at Judy. It wasn't a question but rather a statement. Judy understood instantly what was up and loosened her vice like grip on Nick's paw. She began to withdraw from Nick but was happy when he didn't let her paw go. He gave her an encouraging squeeze and she felt all her anger wash away.

Judy took in a deep breath and closed her eyes as she tried her best to keep control of her own emotions. "My apologies doctor," she muttered as she opened her eyes and glanced at Dr. Bitter.

Much to Judy's surprise the doctor merely waved his hands, "I have a feeling that was more the night howlers than you, but I know a few mammals who would agree with your statement."

Nick nodded in both approval and agreement which caused Judy to squeeze his paws, signaling for him to stop. The Fox let out a sly smirk as he looked at Judy from the corner of his eyes.

"Now besides not returning to work I am afraid I have more orders for your recovery process,"Dr. Bitter began as he flipped through his notes in the clipboard in his paws. "Are you currently on any umm..."The Doctor paused for a moment as he looked over at Nick and then at Judy as he searched for the best words, "bunny related med that are not on your charts?"

Judy felt her cheeks go warm as she put two and two together. It only took Nick an extra ten seconds but soon the Fox realized what was going on and began to giggle like a school pup.

Even though the mammals in Zootopia had evolved into a more civilized group there were still some ancient instincts that needed a little extra suppressing. Many mammals experienced this and was not necessarily unique to one species. Some Wolf's needed help with keeping their howls down and also suffered from a constant need to be around others. A few wildebeests had panic attacks occasionally and would stampede in certain districts.

Bunnies however suffered from a few instincts that needed a different kind of suppression. There was medication for all the major problems. Some bunnies suffered from burrow syndrome and felt they needed to constantly dig deeper into the ground. Then of course there was "flighting", in which a bunny had an uncontrollable urge to flee at the sight of any species except a fellow bunny. Luckily for Judy she did not suffer from any of these. She did understand though what the doctor was getting at. Many females of certain species required assistance in suppressing certain urges when it came to mating. It wasn't unique to bunnies though, some lionesses required it along with smaller prey species that were used to multiplying constantly to maintain their species survival. In this more modern day and age however such things weren't needed so some companies produced medicine to help control these urges.

She had never discussed this kind of stuff with Nick however so the sudden news was a bit much for the immature Fox. Judy could feel the Fox begin to shake as he did his best to keep his laughter inside.

"I am not on any of those doctor," Judy said firmly, hoping to move away from the conversation quickly.

Nick stopped shaking at the new information and Judy could feel his gaze upon her. She however did her best to keep her eyes forward at the doctor.

The armadillo gave Judy a somewhat surprised look which was mixed with apprehension. "Really officer? That's kind of impressive but not entirely unheard of. Of course we are seeing a steady decline in the need for that kind of medicine." Dr. Bitter then began to scribble some notes down on his clipboard.

"Well if you are on any other form of medication that I am unaware of you need to stop taking it immediately, since we have no idea what affects the night howler still in your system may have its best to avoid adding anything else to the mix, do you understand?" Dr. Bitter said firmly as he looked up from his notes.

Judy nodded quickly and finally chanced a look up at Nick. The Fox still had an amused look on his face and gave Judy a grin.

"Oh for goodness sake Wilde..." Judy grumbled as she looked away, her cheeks turning red once more. She didn't want to admit it out loud but she was somewhat glad to have Nick here, even if it meant he now knew a little more about her than he probably should.

After another half hour of questions Judy was finally released from 's office and was happily waiting outside of the hospital with Nick. Since they had been driven by an ambulance they had no ride at the moment so they were stuck waiting for a pick up from the ZPD. Judy had called chief Bogo and given him a brief update. She could tell he was relieved but still somewhat angry at the situation as a whole. When it came to her work status he informed her that they would discuss it in a day or two, in the mean time she was to take a day off to recover. She wanted to protest but she could tell from the chief's voice he was a little busy and an argument over the phone was the last thing he needed. After she had hung up with her boss Nick had informed her that a ride from the ZPD was on its way but would be a little bit.

Judy didn't mind the extra time with Nick however, she did mind though the claps of thunder nearby as the hourly rain fall began in the district. Judy and Nick found shelter at a covered bench near the hospital's main entrance and took refuge just as the rain began to come down in the area.

At first the situation was a little annoying but it only took a moment for Judy's mood to change as she sat down on the bench. Nick took a seat right next to her. Not in the manner most mammals would while leaving some space, but actually right next to her so they were touching one another right away. Normally she would have been the one to close the gap but happily she found herself gently leaning against her partner. As the Fox tenderly placed an arm around Judy's shoulder she rested her head against Nick and let out a sigh. As the rain continued to fall Judy closed her eyes and let the sound of the rain drops fill her ears. The sounds of the city seemed to just melt away.

"You know you never mentioned this," Nick muttered softly as he gently ran his paw up and down Judy's arm.

"Mentioned what?" Judy mumbled as she kept her eyes closed. For once the emotion that was being enhanced by the night howler was one she actually enjoyed, it was a mixture of joy and want. Not necessarily the kind of want that would lead them to a cheap motel room. It was something else, something she couldn't put into words but knew what it was at the same time.

"Mentioned stuff like this when you told me to join the ZPD," Nick said softly as the rain continued to surround their tiny refuge.

"You mean crashing into the snow?" Judy said playfully, "or getting shot at in a vitamin store?"

"Neither, I mean I would have liked a heads up on that stuff!" Nick chuckled. "No, you never mentioned this."

Judy opened her eyes slowly as she looked up at Nick. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes were actually closed as he continued to run his good paw down her arm. Judy gently nuzzled into her partner a little more and placed a paw against him. His warm fur under his pawaiian shirt gave her comfort. As she closed her eyes once more she giggled, "And what is this exactly?"

Nick didn't answer. Judy was about to repeat herself but thought better of it. Why spoil the moment trying to get him to explain something she didn't want him to explain. A label at this moment and time wasn't needed. Nothing was needed actually. The two sat that way for sometime as the rain cooled the city around them. The drops of water colliding on the ground was the only sound that Judy could hear besides Nick's steady heartbeat.

Jody's inner voice kept trying to egg her on to reach up and kiss the dumb Fox. Who knows maybe he would actually want it. Another part of her though ordered her not to ruin this moment. So they continued to just sit in silence.

It didn't take long though for this world they found themselves in to be interrupted as they were both startled back into reality by a ZPD cruisers warning horn blaring for just a second. Judy nearly jumped right off the bench and Nick swore loudly.

The two mammals looked for the culprit. It only took them a second to notice the ZPD cruiser parked nearby. The couple had been there so long that the rain had finally stopped and everything was covered in water.

Much to Judy's annoyance it was time to get up. She slowly stood up from the bench and looked back at Nick and gave him a weak smile, "ready to go partner?" she asked as Nick stretched his good arm and hopped off the bench. He gave Judy a nod and the two approached the cruiser.

Judy felt a smile cross her face as she noticed who was driving the squad car. As the tinted windows rolled down she jumped up and grabbed the window sill so she could peak inside. Nick stood next to Judy and smirked at the driver.

"How's it going bubbles?" Judy asked playfully.

Tammy had a wicked grin on her face as she revved the engine. "You two need another minute, maybe some alone time in the back seat?" she teased and gave a wink.

"May have to throw this one in the back, she could go savage at any moment," Nick said as he gave Judy a pat on the head. Judy quickly waved her hands and shooed Nick away.

"Watch it bub, or I'll show you what a rabid rabbit could do!" Judy said as she playfully bared her teeth and made a biting motion towards Nick who retreated.

"Oh gosh why did I volunteer to pick you two up?" Tammy said as she began to laugh.

"Because you fear the rabbit!" Judy said proudly and puffed out her chest.

This got a laugh from both Tammy and Nick. Judy didn't know if she should feel insulted or not. She shrugged it off though.

"So I'm guessing you two get tomorrow off then?" Tammy said as she reached over and threw the passenger door opened. Much to Judy's happiness Nick climbed into the large passenger seat with her.

"Yeah, Bogo said to take tomorrow off, then return the next day for evaluation," Judy said plainly, hoping the chief would bend the rules and let her return to duty.

"Good, you will need tomorrow to recover," Tammy said as she put the cruiser into drive and began to speed out of the parking lot. The cheetah then grabbed the microphone and keyed up to ZPD dispatch. "Dispatch for car 17"

There came a garbled voice over the speaker, "go ahead 17"

"Picked up officers Wilde and Hopps. Gonna be 10-6 heading 10-19 to go 10-7" Tammy said into her radio. Informing dispatch she would be busy heading back to the office to go OUT OF SERVICE.

"10-4, wish Hopps well for us! Showing you out of service!" the dispatcher responded.

"It's no big deal really, I feel fine it's just..." Judy began to explain as she returned to the previous conversation but was cut off by Tammy.

"Oh I don't mean recover from all that," the cheetah said as she pointed over at Judy and made a circle motion towards where Judy had been hit by night howler which was now cover in a white bandage. "I mean from tonight!"

Judy looked up at Nick with hesitation. The Fox gave off a shrug and shook his head. Judy then looked back at Tammy and tilted her head slightly which caused her ears to flop to one side.

"Judy! You showed how much of a fucking badass you are! I mean getting shot with night howlers and then tranqing yourself without hesitating?! Damn girl!" Tammy said with a broad grin.

Judy couldn't help but smile as she blushed at the compliment.

"Geeze Tammy, you two need a room?" Nick asked which got him a quick jab in the ribs from Judy.

"Amanda and Wolfard have been talking non stop about it all day! Whole department has heard about it at this point! So needless to say we are going out drinking and you ain't paying for any of it!" Tammy informed as she pulled the cruiser into the main highway towards city center.

Judy couldn't get the smile off her face. Not that she wanted to. Normally she would have turned down the offer or come up with some excuse. Today however Judy felt different and hearing Tammy talk about how big a deal this was convinced her what to do. "You know what? Sure! I am definitely in!" Judy said and then looked over at Nick who gave her a mildly surprised look, "we are in" she added as she gave Nick a wink and then a gentle nudge.

"That's my girl! Oh this is gonna be amazing! I am definitely getting you shots!" Tammy cheered and then a look of eureka crossed her face. "The fun kind, not the other kind! Sorry, too soon?"

Judy shook her head as Nick chuckled at the cheesy question, most likely upset he didn't think of it.

As the officers drove into city center Judy became excited for the night to come. Maybe it was the night howler still inside her, but she had the urge to just let loose! Tonight was going to be fun!

* * *

 **Hey all!**

 **Sorry for the silence. Some things came up. Editing is still under way and sadly this chapter hasn't been looked over just yet! Sorry! I am hoping to get some things cleared up soon! Hopefully the next chapter will be edited for grammar before it gets posted. We shall see!**

 **In the meantime enjoy this chapter! More is on the way. May take a bit due to some stuff at work!**

 **Get excited for the next chapter folks! We are going back to the 10-7!**


	30. Return to the 10-7

Return to the 10-7

It was evening and the sun had finally started its descent on the horizon. Leaving the city in the dark embrace of night. However just because the sun had disappeared did not mean the city was slowing down. Zootopia took on a different form at night. Bright lights shot into the sky and the city was illuminated in a sea of different colors. Many mammals had begun to enter the streets, some heading to their late night jobs while others started on a nocturnal adventure.

One such group of late night adventures found themselves in front of the 10-7 bar. The group of off duty officers had all arrived straight from the precinct. Some still wore different parts of their uniforms, mostly work pants with some kind of shirt on top, anything that had a logo for the ZPD had been covered or removed. Even though they all knew the bar they were entered was friendly to officers and the regular crowd was composed of brothers and sisters from different divisions, none of them wanted to bring shame to the ZPD with their drunken antics…or the wrath of a certain water buffalo if he found out.

Judy was fortunate to have had a spare set of clothing in her locker at work. It wasn't much however, and she still felt under dressed in a long sleeved blue plaid shirt and light blue jeans. It was however nicer than the outfit she had worn during the operation over at Melvin's shop. She noted that Nick wasn't sporting one of his regular pawaiian shirts, instead wearing a simple black button up shirt, he must had raided his own spare outfit back at the prescient. It was a nice shirt but made the cast still wrapped around his arm that more obvious. Only a few others from the group had any civilian clothing on. The rest had blank shirts or jackets, the work pants still clearly gave them away as cops however.

As they entered the bar Judy noticed it was slightly busier than the last time she was here, a slight pang of embarrassment formed in her stomach as she remembered the previous visit with Nick on what she had hoped would have been the start of something more. Still though, she didn't regret anything, not anymore at least. Especially since it cleared the air between the two partners and gave them an understanding on where they stood when it came to their relationship.

Though the bar was a little more crowded than before the group had no problem finding a free couch table in the corner of the large room. Judy being the celebrated one was sat right in the middle of the large couch, a pillow playfully placed beneath her as several comments about protecting her wounded hide came up. Tammy sat next to her and of course at her other side was Nick who slouched slightly on the comfortable couch. The pillow Judy sat on made her sit slightly taller than normal which was a new experience for her as she was almost eye level with Nick. She gave him a cheerful look as she scooted in her seat and gave him a playful look. Nick chuckled at Judy's antics and shook his head as the smug rabbit scanned the rest of the table.

Directly across from her sat Amanda who had almost not shown up but was guilted to join by Judy and Tammy. Several points were made about how Judy took one for the team and was injured in the line of duty. Amanda of course felt bad and was only made to feel worse if she didn't attend. Judy had a feeling Amanda would have shown up anyways and was glad to have the company. Wolfard had decided to join in the festivities as well. This didn't surprise Judy as Wolfard had a bit of a reputation for being, pardon the pun, a bit of a party animal. McHorn was the only one absent from the Night Howler team, he had previous engagements and had managed to escape the night's adventure.

Judy was about to thank everyone once again for coming along when she heard a familiar voice shout out, "Judy!?" It was Trisha. Judy turned in time to see a pair of big blue eyes flying in her direction and suddenly felt to warm and loving arms wrap around her. "How are you cutie?" The beautiful brown bunny asked as she took a seat next to Judy on the pillow, keeping her arms gently wrapped around Judy's waist. The rest of the officers at the table all looked down at the two bunnies, many amused looks crossing their faces. Wolfard had a stunned look on his face as he looked over his shoulder and then back at Trisha. In order to get to Judy the small brown bunny had propelled herself across the table right between Wolfard and Amanda. Nick was shaking his head as he let out a low chuckle while he watched the two bunnies embrace and catch up.

"Trisha! I'm great! Just celebrating with the gang," Judy explained as she took in Trisha's new outfit. It was a ZPD t shirt that had been torn away at the stomach, exposing the brown bunny's perfect curves. Judy couldn't help but notice Trisha's chest was slightly more exposed than the shirt was originally supposed to. "Love the shirt!"

Trisha beamed as she looked down and adjusted her bunny bust right in Judy's face, "You like? I got it a little while after meeting you, was hoping I could show it off to you sometime," Trisha said proudly, "Wouldn't mind showing some other things off to you too." She whispered suggestively as she leaned close and gave one of Judy's raised ears a light kiss.

Judy could feel her cheeks burning and her eyes went wide in surprise. A few of the officers chuckled at the interaction between the two bunnies. Judy noticed that Nicks expression which was a mix of amusement and annoyance. Or maybe it was jealousy?

"So what are we all celebrating?" Trisha asked as she suddenly turned to the rest of the group as if they had only just arrived.

"Judy's first shot!" All the officers shouted at once. Judy couldn't help but smile as her friends all gave her proud looks.

Trisha however had a sudden look of dread come across her face as she turned to Judy. "Oh my god! No Judy are you alright?!" Trisha said as she quickly pulled Judy into a caring hug. "Where did you get hit, are you ok, is there anything I can do?" The words came spilling out of her mouth as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm ok Trisha, really. It wasn't even a real shot!" Judy said. She explained to the concerned looking bar maid the events of the day and ended with how she shot herself in the ass to help her fellow officers.

"Oh my god Judy, you are stone cold!" Trisha said as she threw her arms around Judy's neck. Judy grinned as she returned the hug. Her ears twitched slightly and she felt a shiver roll down her body as she felt one of Trisha's paws wander down her back and gently over her butt, "You just tell me where it hurts and I'll kiss it better ok?" She whispered in a tone in which made it hard to tell if she was joking or not.

Trisha then stood up and hopped onto the table, "So what will it be?" She asked the other officers, returning to her regular waitress duties. After she had taken everyone else's orders she turned to Judy, "I got you taken care of cutie!" she said and gave Judy a playful wink as she bounded off the table and towards the bar, neglecting to let Judy order anything at all.

The group began to share stories amongst themselves. Only one other mammal at the table had ever been shot in the line of duty, Tammy's partner Mike. The Hippo however said that he would wait to tell his stories, apparently it was better with a few drinks.

It didn't take long for Trisha to return with the help of another waitress, an otter who was carrying two large pitchers in her hands. Trisha passed all the drinks around and once all the other mammals at the table had been taken care of she hopped onto Judy's pillow, holding a tall clear glass full of an orange liquid with small green spots. It smelled so strong that Judy was worried of just getting drunk on the fumes, she did notice a light carrot scent emanating from the drink.

"This one I had made just for you my brave bunny" Trisha said playfully as she placed the glass in Judy's paws. Judy looked down at the drink and then back to Trisha who gave her a look of encouragement.

Judy shrugged her shoulders "Try everything," She muttered as she put the glass to her lips and took a sip. The drink burned slightly but it was worth it, the taste of sweet carrots filled her senses and a slight citrus tang finished it off. Judy lowered the glass and looked at Trisha who was sitting very close, waiting for a response, her bright blue eyes staring into Judy's purple ones. "This is amazing!" Judy exclaimed as she took another sip, already feeling a little warm from the spirits mixed into her glass.

"I knew you would love it!" Trisha said as she raised her hands in the air in victory. She looked around the table happily and then back to Judy.

Judy didn't know what had come over her, she wasn't even drunk yet, but the sudden urge to just have fun was too much and she acted on her feelings. She leaned in and gave Trisha a small peck on the bunny's nose. Trisha froze for a second and then beamed. "Best night ever!" Trisha exclaimed, a slight shade of red appearing on the brown fur covering her cheeks. "I'll check on all of you in a little while!" Trisha said as she hopped from the pillow and onto the table. Before she hopped down from the table she looked at Judy and blew her a kiss. Judy giggled as she blew one back and then proceeded to raise the drink back to her lips.

Trisha hopped from the table, "Was that the drink or the night howlers?" Nick teased as he took a sip from his beer bottle. Judy stuck out her tongue at Nick.

"Little bit of both mixed in with the fact that she looks cute in ZPD blue!" Judy responded as she gave Nick a little wink before taking another sip of her own drink.

Nick rolled his eyes as a smirk crossed his lips, "Not as cute as a certain other bunny I know!"

"Bawww, you two are so gross!" Tammy teased from the other side of Judy.

Before Judy looked away she caught a glance of Nick looking the other direction. Something was odd about him, it was almost as if he was a little embarrassed. As Nick began a conversation with Wolfard and Amanda, Tammy took the opportunity to lean closer to Judy.

"So?" Tammy asked as she scooted closer to Judy, trying not to get Nicks attention.

"So nothing" Judy grumbled as she took another sip of her carrot drink knowing what the Cheetah wanted to discuss. Maybe it was the night howlers or the fact that she had already drained a quarter of her drink, but she wasn't beating around the bush when it came to the subject of Nick. "Which is dumb, especially since the kiss."

"KISS?!" Tammy had to stifle her own excited voice out of fear of getting others attention.

"Well, almost kiss. Maybe, I mean I don't know," Judy fumbled with her words and then took a moment. She made sure Nick was busy with his own conversation before explaining to Tammy the events at the hospital that day. She didn't go into too much detail when it came to the examination, however the subject of Nick and her almost sharing a kiss was given a great deal of description.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" Tammy said as she shook her head and glanced at Nick.

"Yeah, maybe it's just me and I am reading this all wrong," Judy grumbled, "Wouldn't be the first time, I mean I thought we had a date at this bar a while back, turned out to be something else!"

It had been a few days since Judy's and Nick's date at the bar. At least that was what she thought it had been. Turned out it was just drinks to clear their heads. Nick had explained to her that though he really cared for Judy he was worried that if they took things a step farther that she may become more invested and it would be harder to turn back if he didn't feel the same way. At that point he felt it would poison what was between them and he could not stand to lose his best friend. Judy respected his decision but it didn't stop her from wondering what a relationship with the fox would have been like.

"Well it sounds like he really wants something! There is something else though going on in that big empty head of his!" Tammy suggested. Though the cheetah didn't have all the information Judy was impressed with her understanding of the situation. Tammy was right, Nick obviously had feelings for Judy. The near kiss at the hospital proved that much. Something inside Nick though had stopped him. She made a mental note to test this theory later. "In the mean time I bet that bunny would make for a great lay!" Tammy said matter-a-factly which caused Judy to nearly spit out her drink. Right on cue Trisha hopped back onto the table to check up on everyone.

"Well...I mean...I think she is just being nice...besides...I'm...not into girls like that..", Judy said quickly, the last part came from her lips but she had a hard time convincing herself it was completely true, "of course It couldn't hurt to try, she looks like she would be wild in the sheets" She let out as she took another sip of her delicious drink. Maybe it was the drink but it was most likely the night howlers whatever it was some odd thoughts started to cross Judy's mind as she looked over at the brown bunny who was busy poking at Nick's cast as the fox tried to shoo the annoying bunny away.

This time it was Tammy's turn to cough on her drink. As she grabbed a napkin from the table and began to wipe her shirt she gave the gray bunny a sly wink, "Officer Hopps! I think we need to keep this drink train flowing!"

Judy giggled as she killed her drink and placed the empty glass on the table. Trisha's ears twitched when she heard the empty glass being placed on the table and looked over in Judy's direction. Judy gave her a wink and then nodded at the glass while giving a thumbs up. Trisha smiled happily and nodded as she bounced back to the bar.

As the night went on Judy found it harder and harder to sit up straight as she continued to enjoy the carrot drinks Trisha brought her way. Luckily for her Nick knew his place in life as not only being Judy's partner but also being her pillow where ever they ended up. Judy did her best not to seem like a nuisance at first but soon gave up on appearances and leaned against Nick. Occasionally she would close her eyes and gently nuzzle her head against Nick's good arm. Her ears would twitch as she picked up the occasional comment from the rest of the group. It was never anything mean, just the occasional "awws" and "They are so cute together". The words made her feel all fuzzy inside and she couldn't help but grin as she took in a deep breath and smelled Nick's familiar scent.

Nick would occasionally look down at Judy and give her a slight nudge which would return the tipsy bunny back to reality. She would look up at her partner with a pleased smirk and questioning eyes. Nick would return the look with a smile and wink. As the night progressed and the drinks continued to flow Judy had a harder time restraining herself. This time however Judy felt her emotions screaming for her to try something. The night howler swirling inside her took the final bit of control and convinced Judy to make a move.

The rest of the mammals at the table were busy in conversation and weren't looking towards Nick and Judy. As Nick looked down at Judy with his handsome smile Judy bit her lip. Her heart was racing as she prepared to take the final leap. Maybe tonight would be the night she could finally convince him. She took one last deep breath and then leaned up quickly. Much to her disappointment however she saw Nick's eyes go wide as he turned his head so Judy's lips brushed the fox's cheek instead of his lips which were her intended target. If anyone at the table had seen anything it would have looked as if Judy had just leaned up to give Nick a gentle kiss on the cheek.

Both Nick and Judy however knew what had actually happened and it tore Judy apart on the inside. She had taken a chance and had been shot down by Nick. "Judy…I…I'm sorry but..." Nick whispered kindly as he leaned down towards the bunny who was trying her best to maintain some kind of composure. It apparently wasn't working though as Judy noticed a few faces from the group take a nervous glance in her direction. None of them wanted to make it obvious but Judy could tell they noticed she was starting to lose control. "I have to go to the bathroom, excuse me," Judy mumbled quickly as she practically leapt from her seat. She felt Nick try and grab her paw but she managed to slip away.

"Carrots?" Nick said loudly as he tried to catch Judy but she was already gone.

"Wilde what did you do?" Tammy shot at Nick who began to throw out an excuse.

This only made Judy feel worse as she felt her emotions take over and tears began to well up in her eyes. Though she had initially felt sad she felt herself grow angry at letting her emotions ruin the moment. She should have just enjoyed being with Nick, instead she had to go and wreck a perfectly good night. The urge to turn around and face the table crossed her mind but she couldn't stop her feet as they led her towards the back of the bar where the restrooms were located. She felt even worse knowing that Nick would now face some kind of attack at the table as Tammy most likely began to berate the innocent fox.

As she quickly moved through the crowd she saw Trisha. Judy cursed under her breath hoping that Trisha wouldn't notice her. She didn't want to ruin what Trisha thought of Judy. Unfortunately for Judy however the brown bunny spied Judy in the crowd and made a bee line right for the distressed bunny. At first Trisha had a beautiful smile on her face as she bounced towards Judy while carrying a large pitcher for a waiting table. The brown bunny's expression changed however and her ears drooped as she took in Judy who did her best to maintain some kind of composure.

"Oh hey there cutie!" Judy said weakly as she tried to put on a warm smile which she could tell looked very forced.

Trisha's bright blue eyes went from Judy and then the direction of Judy's table. A slight scowl crossed her face but disappeared when she looked back at her friend. Trisha closed the gap and placed a paw on Judy's waist. "Ladies restrooms is the one on the right, I'll be there in just a second sweetie!" Trisha said lovingly and then quickly weaved through the crowd as she hurried to drop off the pitcher to its intended party.

Judy rushed through the crowd and found the ladies restroom. She barged in and much to her relief found herself in a very large and empty restroom. The room was painted a dark blue and had pictures covering the walls of different females in varying uniforms from different departments in Zootopia. Most of them were from many years ago and had a neat retro vibe about them. Judy crossed the restroom to a series of sinks set at varying heights for the different species that may visit the restroom. Judy turned the sink on and let the water run for a moment as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were matted from where the tears had rolled down. She took in a deep breath and let out a quiet sigh as she cursed the night howlers flowing through her. Her emotions were no longer under her control and she knew it. She also knew that Nick knew it but that still didn't excuse her behavior in her opinion.

As Judy reached for the paper towels to help clean her face she heard the door open. She looked up in the mirror and let out a small smile as she saw Trisha enter the restroom. The brown bunny crossed the restroom and leaned against the counter and looked at Judy with concern. "So how about we skip the part where you lie and say you are fine and get right to what's really going on?"

Judy let out a weak chuckle as she placed a paper towel underneath the water. Much to her surprise Trisha reached down and took the towel from Judy's paws and gently placed her other paw on Judy's cheek so she would turn and face the brown bunny. Trisha gently dabbed the wet towel against Judy's fur as her bright blue eyes scanned her friend.

"I did something stupid," Judy began.

Trisha scoffed at the comment, "I doubt it, and I have a feeling a certain Fox did something stupid!"

"No it wasn't him!" Judy said, trying to defend her absent partner. She felt a bit of anger rumbling inside her and did her best to suppress the emotion. Judy focused on the bright blue eyes in front of her and hoped it would be enough to relax her. "I should have controlled myself is all"

"First off, didn't you get hit by that night howler junk? Wasn't that the reason you had to take a shot in the butt? I thought that stuffed messed with mammals and made them go a little crazy?" Trisha said as she gave Judy a wink which caused Judy to roll her eyes and smirked.

"Yeah but still..."

"Still nothing!" Trisha interrupted, "what exactly happened anyways?"

Judy explained what had happened minutes before while Trisha continued to dab Judy's cheeks and help clean the distressed bunny up. Judy took her time as she explained how she lost control of herself for a moment and tried to kiss Nick. She then spent a few minutes defending Nick's case to Trisha. Trying to explain where Nick was coming from and how it was her fault for trying anything. At first she thought she would start balling as she explained the situation. Instead she found herself growing angry. Not because what had happened but because of Trisha's smug look.

While Judy continued to explain things she couldn't help but noticed the cocky smirk across the brown bunnies face and the drooped eye lids that gave off an all too knowing stare.

"So what you are saying is he is an idiot?" Trisha asked after Judy finished with her explanations.

"NO! He has every right! It's not his fault and he doesn't feel that way! I can't force him! It's my fault for feeling this way!" Judy said as her voice started to rise.

"So what you're saying is stupidity is contagious?" Trisha muttered as she held her ground and placed a paw on her hip.

"What?! No it's not! He is just not into me! Plain and simple! I am a bunny and he is a fox, it wouldn't work anyways!" Judy was practically shouting at this point as the anger began to pour out. Judy didn't know what infuriated her more? Trisha's smug look or the lies she was now having to spew out in order to defend Nick.

Trisha burst out laughing at this point and Judy could feel her eye twitch with anger, "OK now that is dumb! I mean Judy if you honestly belief that then you and Nick really are made for one another!"

"Are you trying to get me angry? Because if so it's working!" Judy shot back as she clenched her paws into fists.

"Yup! That was the plan!" Trisha said as she stuck out her tongue.

"Well stop!" Judy shouted as she flung her arms in the air and slapped Trisha's paw which had been resting on Judy's cheek away.

Much to Judy's surprise Trisha let her paw hang in the air and kept the same smug look on her pretty face.

Judy ears twitched as she felt her muscles tense up.

"Feel better?" Trisha asked as she lowered her paw and placed it on her hip.

"No!" Judy growled.

"Then try something else," Trisha said as she took a step closer with a wicked smile.

Judy suddenly felt her anger faltered as a wave of embarrassment washed over her. "What?" She stammered as she did her best to hold her ground. She felt the room shake slightly as her adrenaline from before seemed to dissipate and the alcohol in her system took control once more.

Trisha took one of Judy's paws and placed it around her own brown neck and gave a squeeze as she stepped even closer to Judy. "Take it out on me!"

Judy tried to pull her paw away from Trisha but the brown bunny gripped Judy's wrist and gave her a wink as she bit her lip.

"Quit joking around!" Judy burst out laughing at this point as she took a step back only to have Trisha move with her.

"Who's joking cutie?" Trisha whispered as she leaned closer to the very surprised Judy. Judy felt her heart racing as she looked down at Trisha's luscious lips and then back at the bright blue eyes filled with an odd emotion. Judy felt her back brush up against the wall and it caused her eyes to go wide as her ears shot up. "Nowhere to run!" Trisha teased.

Judy didn't know what came over her maybe it was the night howlers, her drunken stupor, or her training, whatever it was it happened quickly. Judy gripped Trisha's neck and then placed another paw on the brown bunny's waist. With lighting reflexes she turned suddenly and slammed Trisha's back into the wall. Judy eyes went wide as she saw Trisha's head slam against the wall. Her eyes went even wider when she saw Trisha close her eyes and moan with pleasure. The brown bunny was biting her lower lip as here eye lids slowly opened and stared at Judy.

At first Judy wanted to ask if the brown bunny was ok. She wanted to let her friend go and apologize. What she did instead was take a step closer to Trisha till their bodies were against one another. Trisha let out more soft moans as she began to grind her body against Judy's. Judy was surprised when she realized she was doing the same as she ran her free paw up the brown bunny's slender frame. She let out a low growl as she tested her friends limits and squeezed the paw around Trisha's neck a little tighter.

Trisha let out a gasp as she arched her back which caused her chest to be thrusted against Judy's. "There ya go!" Trisha groaned as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the bathroom wall.

Judy couldn't explain it but something carnal in her was growing and telling her to go farther. She enjoyed this, the aggression, the roughness, the control she now had over Trisha. Judy knew this wasn't her. She would never do something like this. Or at least she would not have tried something like this before. Maybe it was what had happened over the past few days. The car crash, the rejection from Nick, the night howlers? Judy decided to not put a label on it right then. She could worry about the ramifications later. For now she had something else on her mind.

Judy's free paw was now wandering back up Trisha's figure, she slowly slid a paw underneath the blue ZPD shirt which caused the brown bunny to shiver with excitement. Judy grinned as she saw Trisha's mouth open with pleasure as she tried to catch her breath. At first Judy was worried that she may end up strangling her friend so she loosened her grip. Much to her surprise and excitement Trisha shook her head and placed a paw on Judy's and squeezed, signaling she was alright.

The door to the restroom opened suddenly and Judy quickly looked over to see a very amused looking Tammy standing in the threshold. "Just wanted to check on you Judy, but I see someone already…wow..I mean really wow!"

Judy's eyes went wide with fear when she realized how this all looked. Here she was with her body against Trisha's as she pinned the brown bunny to the wall with her paw around the waitress's neck. "Tammy?! It's not…umm...She was...We..!" Judy blurted out as she tried to figure out what to say that would best explain the situation. Judy looked over towards Trisha in some hope she could come up with a better excuse to help get out of this embarrassing situation. Instead she got something she wasn't expecting but apparently needed.

Trisha placed both paws on Judy's cheeks and did something Nick had yet to do. Every time there had been an interruption of some kind Judy and Nick found themselves pulling away and trying to hide what was happening. Trisha apparently had no intention of doing this as she pulled Judy close and pressed her soft lips against Judy's. At first Judy seized up in surprise but felt herself relax as she leaned against Trisha and looped an arm around the brown bunny's waist. The kiss was awkward at first but only took a second to evolve into something more passionate than Judy had ever expected to experience with another female. Much to her disappointment she felt Trisha pull away and give Judy a small peck on the nose before pulling away completely. Judy felt herself lean forward and gently placed her head against Trisha's as she closed her eyes and let out a satisfied sigh.

Trisha turned to Tammy and smiled, "Just trying to earn a good tip!" she teased and gave the shocked cheetah a wink. There was a few moments of silence and then a burst of laughter came from the cheetah.

"Well I could leave you two if you really wanna earn that extra pay!" Tammy teased. Judy felt herself starting to just relax as her two friends began with their banter. For the first time in a while she felt completely relaxed and just lost herself as she leaned against Trisha.

"What do ya say cutie?" Trisha asked as she shook Judy gently.

Judy opened her eyes and stood up straighter as she looked from Tammy and then back to Trisha.

"Hmmm, sorry I didn't catch that," Judy admitted as she felt her cheeks go warm.

Both of her friends began to chuckle as they looked at Judy. "Shall we head back to the table?" Trisha asked as she ran a paw up and down Judy's arm.

Judy nodded but then her eyes went wide and her ears shot up as she just remembered what had just happened. "What do I tell Nick?!"

Tammy rolled her eyes as she shook her head, "listen Hopps, first off who said he needs to know, second he had the chance."

"Thirdly, it was just a little kiss, everyone needs a good smooch every once and a while," Trisha chimed in.

Judy suddenly felt very awkward as she looked at Trisha realizing how rude she may have just sounded. Trisha had just shown Judy some fun and had taken a chance to reveal her feelings and Judy was so quick to be concerned about Nick. It wasn't exactly fair for Trisha.

"I'm sorry, you…that…us...Umm" Judy blurted out as she tried to find the words.

"We are super close! It was just making out! It was super fun! End of story, I know who you belong with and though it's not with me who said we can't have a little fun till the dummy gets a clue?" Trisha said as she brushed one of Judy's ears gently.

"Oh gosh, if anyone needs me I'm gonna be throwing up back at our table!" Tammy interjected as she turned to leave.

"Oh you're just jealous!" Trisha shot at the cheetah.

"Your right, Hopps looks like a good kisser!" Tammy said and then was gone.

"You have no idea," Trisha said playfully as she took a step to the side and checked herself in the mirror. Judy followed suit and took a moment to make sure she was presentable. She had to take a moment since the room still swayed thanks to the liquor still flowing through her. Satisfied she had done her best she left the restroom with Trisha.

Moments later Trisha was leading the still stumbling Judy back to the table where some of the ZPD crew was still waiting. Mike and Wolfard both had to leave so the only ones still at the table were Amanda, Tammy, and a very concerned looking Nick.

"Oh gosh, I can't! I'm still embarrassed!" Judy slurred as she looked at Nick. Trisha wouldn't have any of it though as she held Judy's paw and led the drunk bunny back to the table. Judy struggled at first but then looked over at Nick who gave her a smirk. She suddenly felt her knees go weak at the natural handsomeness that her partner had. Judy then looked nervously over at Trisha who grinned and nodded in the direction of the table. With some effort Trisha managed to help Judy back onto the couch. To get back to her original seat she would have to cross over Nick which caused her to pause for a moment and looked at her partner who was holding a beer in his good hand.

The fox took a second to place his beer on the table. Judy felt nervous and looked down as she slowly began to climb over Nick. She let out a surprised gasp as she felt an arm loop around her waist and pull her down. At first she thought it was Trisha but realized it was someone stronger, someone warmer, and someone with orange and black running through his fur. Nick pulled Judy so her back was against his chest while she sat on his lap. Her eyes were wide with both surprise and excitement as she took in the situation. She looked at the faces across the table. Tammy and Amanda gave each other knowing looks while Trisha had a joyous smile cross her brown face.

Judy then tilted her head back so she was looking up at Nick who gave her a wink. The fox then reached for his beer and took another sip before returning to the conversation they had all been having before Judy's return.

Maybe it was the fact he acted so casual, like this was completely normal. Or maybe it was the warmth he emanated. Whatever it was Judy felt herself falling for Nick all over again as she made herself comfortable in his lap as his arm remained wrapped around her.

As the evening progressed the table became crowded with empty bottles and glasses. Trisha was very diligent in her duties and made sure no one's glasses were empty for very long. Judy had remained happily on Nick's lap and had even joined in on the conversations that continued through the night. She realized this was the first time any of her coworkers had seen Nick and her in this way and it made her swell with joy that Nick was ok with it. Judy was more than ok as she would occasionally nuzzle her head against Nick's chest and let out a satisfied sigh. Even Nick seemed to be enjoying himself as he would occasionally brush a paw down one of Judy's ears or arms which would cause her to shiver with pleasure. The combination of the episode with Trisha in the restroom and the sudden attention from Nick made Judy feel her needs were fulfilled and her urges could now be kept in check.

Trisha came round one last time with a big grin on her face as she looked over at Judy and Nick who were still nestled on the couch together. "Can't believe you have been sitting on lumpy there all night cutie!" Trisha teased which caused Judy to stick out her tongue and sway a little to one side. Nick had to catch Judy from falling over as the alcohol had taken control of the bunnies balance.

"That's Officer Lumpy to you!" Nick said as he pulled Judy back onto his lap and gave her a slight squeeze. Nick then closed his eyes as the table began to roar with laughter, "I just made a new nickname for myself didn't I?"

The ladies around the table all began to nod as they acknowledged Nicks mistake. It was Judy though that stole the show though, "That's not all that is lumpy…"She slurred as she rubbed her butt against Nick's lap for all to see.

"Officer Hopps!" Nick blurted out as his eyes went wide. The rest of the table was a riot with laughter and coughing. Trisha had to turn away and fan herself as she tried to catch her breath as fits of laughter poured out of her.

"That right there is why I love her!" Trisha said as she began to clear the table of bottles. "So before Judy starts giving Officer Lumpy a lap dance would anyone like one last drink? Last call is going on and I need to start closing out some tabs! Officer Lumpy's is especially big! The tab I mean!"

"Eeh oh!" Judy cheered and began to giggle uncontrollably at Nick's expression.

Tammy and Angela looked at one another and shook their heads. "Just our checks there darling! Your neck still sore at all?" Tammy asked as she looked back at Trisha with a playful smirk and then a wink. Trisha blushed and then gave Tammy a playful glare which screamed "shut your mouth!"

"Awww, you catch something?" Amanda said as she began to rummage around in her purse.

"No! I am fine! Thanks for asking!" Trisha said as she gave the cheetah a slap on the arm to get her point across. Tammy just laughed and shook her head.

Judy had heard the conversation and looked away from Nick for a moment, "Oh no! Was I too rough?!" She blurted out as she fell against Nick for the tenth time that evening.

This had gotten Nick's attention as he finished his beer and then looked down from Judy and then to Trisha, "Who was too rough?"

"Me!" Judy said as she raised her paw like she knew an answer to a math problem. Both Tammy and Trisha looked at one another nervously and then back to Judy.

"It's nothing! Just a little joke!" Tammy blurted out as she looked from Nick and then down at Judy and barred her teeth, trying to give Judy the hint to shut up.

Nick had a more serious look on his face suddenly as he noticed Tammy's expression and then looked at Trisha's nervous smile as the brown bunny tried to gather up all the glasses at the table quickly. The fox then looked down at Judy and gave her a warm smile.

"So Carrots…what did you do to Trisha?" He asked softly as Judy fell against his cast and looked directly up at Nick with a drunken smile.

"So how many checks will it be? Nick I know you are paying for Judy of course? Tammy and Amanda are separate right?" Trisha asked in a hurried fashion as she did her best to steer the conversation elsewhere. A look of desperation was on both Tammy and Trisha's faces.

"She's into choking and rough stuffs! I slammed her against the wall but she liked it!" Judy managed to get the words out and then giggled. She then thought for a moment. Something inside of Judy would have normally stopped her from saying dumb things or control her emotions. That particular part of Judy's mind had closed for the evening. "Then we made out! I like making out!" Judy said happily. She didn't sound sorry or embarrassed about the last fact. The alcohol in her system convinced her that this was something to be proud of. Trisha meanwhile began to slowly step away from the table as she looked at the ground. Tammy didn't know where to look so she just looked straight up at the ceiling. Amanda meanwhile had an amused look on her face but then she realized this wasn't exactly something to smirk about. Eventually all eyes fell on Nick to gage his reaction. Trisha was already a table's length away and looking at the ground as she carried the glasses back towards the bar. At first Nick maintained a surprised smirk but then the emotion disappeared and was replaced with a saddened look. Judy meanwhile nuzzled gently into the fox's side and closed her eyes as a bit of drool began to form at the corner of her lip.

"Nick?" Tammy muttered softly as she tried to figure out how to fix this awkward situation.

"Yeah Tam?" Nick said coldly as he looked from the resting Judy in his lap and then to the cheetah who recoiled slightly.

"You ok?" Nick's coworker asked as Amanda looked away from the table.

Nick's smirk returned and he nodded, "Yeah Tam…guess I asked for this..."

Though it only took a minute for the checks to arrive to the rest of the table it felt like an hour. Trisha was nowhere to be found and it was the otter from earlier who brought the checks. Nick of course paid for Judy without question and left a large tip for Trisha and a small note on the check that read, "We need to talk, text me later. – Officer Lumpy"

The gang went their separate ways as they exited the bar. Amanda and Tammy caught a cab together and could be seen chatting as the bright yellow car pulled away. Nick was carrying Judy now as the bunny was completely passed out. It was somewhat difficult at first with the cast on his good arm but he managed to get her on his back and looped her arms around his neck. With his good paw he held onto her arms so she wouldn't slip from her position.

Much to the fox's relief another cab pulled up and the driver, a kind spoken jaguar, helped Nick load the passed out bunny into the cab. At first the driver eyed the bunny and then looked back at Nick while giving a concerned look. Nick thought it was because of the couple being a prey and pred. Then he realized it was exactly that but for a different reason. "We are partners, just got to get her to her apartment and then I need a lift to my own! No late night hunting here!" Nick explained as he showed the jaguar his shield. Nick had a little more respect for the driver he had just met. The jaguar was just looking out for Judy and making sure she wasn't being taken to some shady corner of the city to be…well he didn't want to think about what could happen to his partner in this state without him.

As the cab casually rolled down the streets of the now sleeping city Nick had some time to think. Occasionally he was pulled from his thoughts as Judy would mumble something in her drunken slumber. The fox would look at her and gently run a paw down Judy's ears which would silence her as she let out a pleased moan.

When the cab finally arrived at Judy's apartment the jaguar offered to help Nick who politely declined. "Keep the engine running! I'll be back after I tuck in sleeping beauty!"

"Of course officer, take your time, I'll pause the meter while I wait!" The jaguar offered and then pulled his phone out and began to swipe at the screen.

The way up to Judy's apartment wasn't exactly smooth. Nick did his best to keep Judy on his back and not drop the sleeping bunny who was out like a light. Once at the apartment door Nick gently put Judy down and pulled his keychain out. She had given him a spare key not too long ago but he never used it before. Judy was always awake and waiting for him. It felt somewhat strange but also right as he slipped the key into the door and opened up Judy's apartment. With some effort Nick finally got Judy over to the bed where he gently placed her down and then pulled a sheet over the sleeping bunny. He placed a paw on Judy's cheek which caused the gray bunny to mumble something and gently nuzzle into the black paw. Nick let out a deep sigh as he studied his partner. Even in her passed out state she was just as pretty as the day they had first met.

Nick's expression changed from one of longing to one of deep thought. Whatever was running through the fox's mind was obviously causing some kind of conflict. He stood like this for a minute then grabbed a glass of water and placed it on Judy's bedside table. Before he left he leaned down and gave Judy a gentle kiss on the cheek, "Sleep tight Carrots, I will talk to you tomorrow..." With that the fox locked the apartment up for the night and returned to the waiting taxi.

* * *

 **So I wanted to wait to post this chapter till it had been seen by the editor. However I also really really wanted to post this one so here it is. Still waiting for it to be cleaned up but I am happy about it for the most part. I know some shippers will be sharpening some pitch forks at this point but please be a little more patient! This is gonna be a fun next set of chapters!**

 **Reviews are super important so I know how everyone feels about this stuff. Keep them coming!**

 **Also have you had a chance to check out Fox In The Hen House's newest work? _A Bunny Can go Savage!_ Check it out! I read one chapter and now I am hooked! Also love seeing how the author is trying to take over Disney. I am rooting for them in hopes they bring me on to help write Zootopia 2! :P**

 **(No they didnt ask me to say this, I just wanted to share another fanfic that looks like a serious good read!)**

 **Also just a teaser for the next chapter: The villain is coming.**


	31. Chaos at Brunch

Chaos at brunch

Judy cursed herself for not wearing any sunglasses. She should have known better but she was in such a rush to see Nick that she was lucky she had remembered to get completely dressed. The image of her running through the streets in a sports bra made her chuckle. Which only caused her to wince as a sharp pain shot through her temple. Judy had arrived at a café Nick had suggested a little early which meant she had managed to grab them a table. When the server, a gazelle, had asked her where she wanted to sit Judy had foolishly said outside. After all it was a nice sunny day in the city. Perfect for brunch with her partner, that is if she hadn't been nursing such a strong hangover.

'Trisha I love ya but you will be the death of me!' Judy thought as memories of the night before began to flood her mind. The drinks had just kept showing up and it would have been rude to turn them all down right? Little did Judy know just what the drinks would do to her. The effects of the night howler serum was apparently still affecting her and she had acted on emotions she would have normally just pushed aside. She had unfortunately been shot down once again by Nick so instead of pursing something with her partner she had actually ended up sharing a rather risqué moment with Trisha!

However things had taken a turn in the morning. After waking up with what felt like the hangover to end all hangovers Judy had received a rather cryptic series of messages from Nick. There was the normal "Good morning Carrots" and "How are you feeling?" messages. However there was also something else going on. Judy couldn't explain it but Nicks messages seemed odd and somewhat out of place. Nick had asked her, though the way he was acting it felt more like a command, if she would like to get together for some food? The two had the day off after all because of what had happened at Mel's. They would both have to wait to be cleared for active duty once more. Something both Bogo and the doctors had agreed upon. So they didn't have to worry about going to work that day. Judy didn't like this pattern of being at work and then not being at work. She wanted to help out and wrap this case up already!

Nick had seemed to act differently when Judy started messaging him. Something seemed off about him. Judy was still a little apprehensive as the memories from the night before flooded her mind. The leap of faith, the shoot down, and then the scene with Trisha in the restroom all came back. It took her some time but she then remembered she had drunkenly revealed what had transpired between her and Trisha right in front of Nick. Judy could already tell that this would probably not be a very fun conversation.

Part of her felt she was in the right. After all what did Nick have to be upset about? He had shot her down several times already and had insisted on not taking the next step. She even remembered that he had encouraged her to be happy and not wait on him. So why would he be mad? Another side of her felt terrible. Knowing that though Nick didn't want to take that final leap just yet but he obviously still harbored strong feelings for her and the thought that she would actually be with someone else instead of waiting was a little much.

Either way Judy felt rather terrible as she sat with her head in her arms. Not only trying to hide her emotions but also trying to block out the sun which she began to suspect was out to kill her or something. As her head vibrated with a dull pain she detected movement close to her table

"Well you are looking...umm...was gonna say well but doesn't take a doctor to see that you are definitely hurting!" came a male's voice. Judy's ears twitched slightly, it wasn't Nick that much was clear but it was still a familiar voice. Judy slowly raised her head from her arms and looked up to see a smiling rabbit sitting across from her. He was familiar somehow which caused Judy to panic slightly as she tried her best to figure out where she knew him from.

"Oh hey! Jim right?" Judy asked politely even though he was sitting in a taken seat. Judy began to recognize the rabbit from the other day. He was the one who had tried to hit on Judy at Max's café. He was still in a custom fit business suit with a bright purple tie. Fortunately for Judy she had had Trisha to fend him off, now though Judy found herself having to fend for herself. She wasn't so much scared as she was annoyed. She began to think of a way to tell the mammal sitting across her to go away so Nick would have a place to sit.

"Yeah, I think so, so hard to keep track of what names I give out!" Jim said as he made himself comfortable and looked across the table at Judy. "I just wanted to take a moment to say how sorry I am about what happened!"

"It's okay, it was…"Judy began to say instinctively, not really understanding what the rabbit was sorry for.

"No no, I won't hear it, it was completely uncalled for! When I told those two to go talk to Melvin I gave them very specific instructions about how to handle things! Of course I didn't know you had already made your way to him. Still though that didn't call for a shootout in a store. Needless to say I will be handling those two later" Jim began to explain nonchalantly. It was at this point Judy became even more confused. She thought that the rabbit was planning to apologize for what happened at the café. Not what happened at Melvin's. Not in the way he was explaining things. Almost as if he was connected.

It was at that moment Judy began to put things together in her mind as she still tried to process what she was hearing. "Wait? You gave them instructions? Why? How did you know what happened?" Judy blurted out as her eyes went wide.

There was a moment of silence as what could only be described as an evil grin spread across Jim's face. He slowly raised his paws up as if he was presenting a car behind him. His dark green eyes stated directly at Judy, "surprise!"

Judy instinctively reached for her side where her tranq gun would normally be. She cursed herself though remembering she had left it at her apartment. The action merely drew a chuckle out of the rabbit sitting across from Judy. The gray bunny could feel her blood boil as she looked at Jim.

"Judy even if you did have it, you wouldn't be able to use it," Jim said smugly as he placed his paws on the white table cloth.

"Wanna bet?" Judy said through gritted teeth. The fact that she was this close to the mammal responsible for all her trouble was a little much for her. Since her emotions were all sorts of crazy at the moment it took a great deal of control to not jump across the table and strangle Jim.

"Oh, look at you!" Jim said as a look of excitement crossed his face. "See I knew you would be fun! I haven't had fun in a while! Crime has taken such a white collar turn these days!" the rabbit sounded as if he was talking to an old friend about the good old days. It drove Judy crazy. "It's all about politics and moving up that social ladder, so dull!"

"Why does he think we even care?! Climb across the table and slug the jerk!' her inner voice screamed.

"I mean the last time I had this much of a challenge it was with that chief of yours, before he was chief though!" Jim continued as he adjusted his tie and gave Judy a wink which caused her eyes to fill with fire. If looks could kill this whole situation would have been resolved already. "That was in my wilder days though, shame about Hank!"

The sound of officers Tops first name leaving the lips of such a monster caused Judy to snap and she grabbed the table and flexed her muscles as she prepared to lunge at the bunny across the table.

Jim remained cool and just raised his hand in a calm manner. "I really wouldn't Judy!" He warned softly.

"What?! You gonna stop me?" Judy said through gritted teeth

"Well I won't," Jim said confidently as he tapped the table with a finger. The motion caught Judy's attention and she looked down at the table as a small red dot appeared, "he will though." As Judy continued to study the dot it moved slowly across the table until it stopped at the back of a female cheetah sitting at the table just behind Jim.

"He is quiet a good shot too! Bet he could hit at least 3 mammals with night howler before anyone knows what's going on" Jim muttered as he grinned at Judy with triumph.

"You son of a..."Judy began but Jim held up his paw.

"Language! Officer Hopps you represent the best of the ZPD, why don't we leave cursing to that fox of yours!" Jim said playfully. The mention of Nick caused Judy to panic. Jim knew about Nick! How much else did he know? It wasn't exactly classified information but the fact Jim knew a thing or two about Judy's life caused her heart rate to go up.

"Leave him out of this!" Judy growled as she felt her grip on the table tighten.

"Oh I am sorry, but I am afraid it is a little too late for that," Jim said as a waitress strolled by. Jim caught the other mammal's attention. "Excuse me miss! Could I trouble you for a mimosa! And a bloody Mary for my friend here!"

The waitress beamed and nodded. She was gone before Judy could cancel the order. "What do you think you are doing?" Judy asked through gritted teeth. Her eyes went to Jim and then to the red dot which still lingered on the back of the unsuspecting cheetah at the other table.

"Ordering drinks, you look like you could use a little pick me up," Jim said casually.

"Why do you think I would want to have drinks with a monster like you?"

"Well its somewhat customary to hash out business deals over drinks, I am not that hungry to be honest but if you like we can discuss things over some food as well?" Jim suggested as if he was catching up with an old friend. The whole situation was unreal. Judy was mere inches from the rabbit that had been causing Zootopia so many problems and she couldn't do a thing about it. Not without putting the patrons of the café at risk. One shot would be all it took to turn the chatting cheetah into a killing machine before anyone could do anything.

"What business do you think we could possibly have?" Judy grumbled as she loosened her grip on the table and leaned back in her seat. She began to weigh what options she had, sadly there wasn't anything coming to mind.

"Well I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and explain my plans!" Jim said calmly as he sat back in his seat, a pleased look spread across his wicked face.

"You are Jim, a total asshole..."Judy mumbled, letting a little bit of Nick humor enter the conversation. She smirked feeling confident that Nick would be proud of her on that remark.

Jim paused for a moment and then began to laugh which made Judy nervous, "Oh Judy…that is a good one! But no, I am not Jim, I am a bit of an asshole though, just ask some of my associates! Also remember let's keep it civilized"

"Sure, how about you give me their names and addresses!" Judy said putting on a fake smile.

"Nice try Hopps! I will give you an A for effort. Not gonna be that easy though," Jim said as the waitress returned and placed the order on the table before excusing herself. Jim picked up his glass and raised it in Judy's direction, "To you and your boyfriend's health!"

"Nicks not…you know what...never mind!" Judy said as she began to correct Jim as if he was one of her friends but remembered what this new face represented.

Jim tilted his head in concern as he took a sip from his glass," Ok we will put a pin in that! But don't think we aren't coming back to you and Nick!"

"Why do you care?!" Judy practically shouted which drew some attention to their table. Jim chuckled as he raised his hand in defense and waved at the cafes patrons who went back to their own meals.

"First off I care about you Judy and I want you happy! Secondly I need you focused if you ever stand a chance of going against me!" Jim explained as he set his drink on the table.

"Oh trust me, I am focused enough right now," Judy said as she flexed slightly, trying to think of a course of action.

"Are you really?" Jim asked skeptically. "No matter, let's just get down to business!"

"Yes, lets!" Judy agreed as she finally picked up her own drink. She took a sniff and then looked over at Jim apprehensively.

"What?" Jim asked in a confused manner.

Judy looked down at the drink and then back to the rabbit sitting across from her. "Poison?" Judy muttered. Jim let out a soft laugh and then reached over and gently took the glass from Judy's paws. He moved the small straw in the drink and took a sip before handing it back to Judy.

"Trust me now? I don't do the whole poison scene…it just feels like cheating!" Jim explained.

"Still don't trust you…" Judy mumbled as she took a sip of the much needed drink. She felt a small sting from the liquor inside but also something else which soothed her head.

"Well you should!" Jim exclaimed, "And let me tell you why! You see Judy I plan to destroy Zootopia! Plain and simple! I have no other plans! I want this city in utter chaos when I am done!"

"This is supposed to make me trust you how?" Judy asked as she placed her drink back on the table. The urge to fling it at Jim and run was tempting but that wouldn't stop the sniper from tagging the mammals at the café with night howler.

"Simple! You know my main motive! I have no other desires! I just want there to be chaos. Pure Chaos! I promise you Judy that I am a very honest mammal and will never lie to you since I have nothing to hide!" Jim explained casually as he took another sip from his drink.

"That makes no sense!" Judy grumbled as she crossed her arms.

"Really? You sure? Let me use an example you will understand!" Jim said as he brushed something from his sleeves before focusing back on Judy. "Former mayor Lionheart! He wanted to keep the city in control during the missing mammal's incident, which by the way, you are welcome! He lied about where the mammals were. His office was well aware of where the mammals were going but chose to hide it. Therefore lying but for the right reason! Me I like to tell the truth but for the wrong reasons!"

"Wait, what do you mean you're welcome?" Judy asked as her ears shot up.

"Oh yeah, that was me! Well I was consulted on that! I mean you really think that assistant to the mayor could really arrange such a caper? Oh Caper! I am trying to expand my vocabulary so I try to use a word I haven't used…in…a…while…" Jim began go off on a tangent but then noticed the expression on Judy's face. "Anyways, yeah that was me!"

"You started the missing mammal's case?" Judy wanted to scream but to her merit she kept her voice to a low growl.

"Yes and No!" Jim said with excitement as he scooted his chair closer to the table like a child about to explain why captain cougar was better than G.I. Giraffe. "I was merely a consultant of sorts on that job! I mean don't get me wrong Bellwether was resourceful but do you really think she had the connections necessary to pull off a job like that? Like she made a phone call to a cousin in the florist business and asked what type of flower could make mammals turn savage? No no no, she had to seek someone out. I caught wind of what she was up to and offered the necessary resources to get the job done! I already had a few plans up my sleeve for later use but thought I would let her have one to try out. Think of it as a form of test. Oh and it worked, but it just didn't get the same reaction I was hoping for! Hence the new formula!"

As Jim explained all this he had a proud look on his face like he was explaining how he created some brilliant invention. In some regards he had. The problem was the invention he was throwing around could bring a mammal to their knees and lose all control of their own body. Judy felt a sickness in her stomach as she realized all her recent problems with the night howlers were thanks to him.

"So you were the one behind the night howlers falling into her paws then?" Judy asked as she did her best to remain calm.

"I am also the one behind your greatness at the ZPD. That was your first big case after all!" Jim pointed out as he reached for his glass once more.

If Judy wasn't sick before she was now. Her stomach began to knot at the realization of what Jim was saying. If it wasn't for him she would never had gotten the big case, she would never had found the missing mammals, she would never have gotten out of meter maid duty, she would never had worked with….Nick.

"You could say I am the reason you have a boyfriend…or friend? Let's get back to that! I want to know what the hell is going on with you two!" Jim said excitedly as he put his elbows on the table and his chin in his paws. He looked like a child who was about to be told some epic story.

"Why the hell should I explain anything to you?!" Judy shot at the rabbit.

Jim didn't say a word. Instead he merely pointed with one of his paws at a large polar bear who had his back to them. Another bright red dot appeared, "I got a group rate!" Jim said playfully as he revealed there was more than just one sniper to worry about.

Judy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wished Nick was there with her. He would have probably thought of a way out of the situation with some kind of trick or scheme. Or he may have just lunged at the rabbit across the table and strangled the smug look off his face.

"Nick and I are just…friends…and partners…that's all!" Judy said solemnly.

Jim's features drooped slightly as he pouted, "Your kidding? I mean I think everyone in Zootopia thinks you two are dating! I mean not to brag or anything but I am totally a shipper in this department!"

"A shipper?" Judy asked as she tilted her head.

Jim looked around as a small chuckle escaped him, "Never mind, I'll explain later. What about this video?" Jim asked as he pulled his cellphone from his coat pocket and pawed at a few buttons. He then turned the phone so Judy could see a familiar video. It was her and Nick standing at the bottom of the ZPD steps as she jumped up and gave him a surprise kiss on the cheek.

"Where did you get that?!" Judy wanted to shout but her eyes darted to the small red dots on the backs of the unsuspecting predators nearby.

"I follow Benny's blog! He had this thing all over the web! I love that guy," Jim said as he scrolled up to the top of the page to reveal it was from none other than Benjamin Clawhauser's personal blog.

"Benny you gossipy bitch…."Judy muttered as she cursed her friend.

"So that was what? A kiss between partners? I mean I know a lot of cop duos but I don't know any that kiss on the cheek like that. Mind you I bet Irdy and Hank got pretty bored sometimes during stakeouts…wonder if they ever..." Jim began to say but was cut off.

"Stop, just stop right there…you have no right to say his name!" Judy said as her nostrils flared and she felt the night howler in her veins begin to seize control. Her muscles flexed and she could feel her whole body begin to twitch as the night howlers fought to take over

"Oh wow, you…"Jim began to say as he looked for the right words, "You look awesome! I love a ticked off looking Judy! I have to say I never knew what this stuff would do to a bunny! The scientist who made the stuff gave a lot of warning! Something about sudden cardiac stop! But wow! Amazing!"

"Why don't you come closer and I can show you just how amazing I am," Judy growled as she began to shake with anger.

Jim looked as if he was actually mulling over the idea for a moment. Judy wanted so badly to just reach over and smash the rabbits face into the table but knew it would spell disaster for the café and many innocent civilians.

"As much fun as it would be I am gonna have to decline. After all would hate for you to get tranqed or something. Especially in front of Nick. Does he ever get tired of rescuing his damsel in distress…?" Jim asked as a look of eureka came over his face.

"I am no damsel, why don't you let me show you," Judy said in a low growl as she let her anger take control.

Jim snapped his fingers with excitement and quickly grabbed his cellphone. The sudden movement snapped Judy back to reality as she felt her anger falter. Her rage was replaced by trepidation as she watched Jim type furiously on his cellphone.

"What are you doing?" Judy asked nervously.

"I am fixing your Nick problem!" Jim explained with excitement. He pressed one last button and Judy heard Jim's cellphone chirp as a message went out. The rabbit then gently placed his cellphone in his pocket and straightened his tie. "Don't you trust me?"

"No!" Judy shot back quickly. The rabbit across the table feigned an insulted look but his smile quickly returned. "And who said I have a Nick problem?"

"Oh come on Judy! I bet anyone can tell what is going on! The way you say his name! You get this little twinkle in your eye which is super adorable! So I am guessing it is something on his end? Whats his excuse?"

"That's none of your damn business!" Judy wanted to shout but kept her voice to a low growl.

"So I like to think I know a lot about mammals. Especially cops! You all have that same urge to be the knights in shining armor! Off slaying bad guys and rescuing innocent villagers!" Jim began to explain calmly which caused Judy's ears to perk up nervously.

"I like to think Nick has that same quality. At least I hope so! I want to test that theory though!" Jim continued to explain as he slowly reached over and pulled Judy's glass towards him.

Judy heard the dart before she felt it. A whizzing sound shot through the air and suddenly a sharp pain exploded on her side. Judy looked down and her eyes widened with panic as a small tranq dart protruded from her shirt. The needle clearly hitting its mark and filling Judy with whatever concoction was inside.

"You bastard…you won't get…away..."Judy began to mumble as she felt a numbness take over. Whatever was in the dart was fast acting. Judy tried to stand up but felt her muscles go limp as she fell back in her chair.

"Language! And look at it this way! If everything works it's gonna be awesome! If it doesn't: Well it's been nice knowing you!" Jim exclaimed as he stood from his seat and walked around the table briskly.

"What are you…going...to..." Judy mumbled as the tranquilizer flowed through her veins.

"Well let's just say we are going old school on this one. Haven't gotten to use explosives in a while, might go that route! Either way it has to be big and theatrical! You know? Really pull at the fox's heart strings when...well...you will see!" Jim whispered in an evil tone.

Judy felt the world swirling around her. Her only hope would be that someone would notice what was happening.

"Sweetie are you ok?!" Jim shouted as he placed his paws on Judy's shoulders. "Oh gosh, I think she has fainted! Miss could I get some water? Or something! Please! Maybe a help to my car its right around the corner No I can drive her to the hospital!"

Jim was good. Judy had to admit that. He was gonna play this off as some kind of illness. He probably already had an escape route planned. As the world started to go dark Judy just had one thought in her mind. "Will I get to see him one last time?"

* * *

 **You know what would really stick right now? If I went on vacation or something!**

 **No worries though! I am working on the next chapter! Hope to have it posted soon!**

 **So you all got to meet Jim! Or at least thats what he calls himself. I am glad you all get to meet him! He has been looking forward to his reveal for a while! More of him to come. Sadly for Zootopia I have a feeling he wont be going anywhere!**

 **Reviews are always welcomed and encouraged! I need to know if I am doing this right or completely botching it!**

 **Also my editor seems to have disappeared. Havent gotten a ransom note yet so that is good! Hope they are ok though. We will start getting these chapters cleaned up as soon as they return!**

 **-Blue**


	32. Judy I am sorry

Judy I am sorry **(rewritten as of 1/28/2017)**

Nick was taking his time as he strolled down the busy sidewalk. Mammals of all shapes and sizes passed the fox who looked to be deep in thought. Just an hour ago he had been eager to see Judy for their brunch date. Or was it just a hang out? Had Judy known the dilemma that was swirling around the Fox's head she would have turned bright red. Here Nick was wondering what to call this little get together like a school pup wondering how to ask a girl to the school dance. One thing was for sure this was gonna be an interesting get together. After the events at the 10-7 bar the night before Nick had a lot to think about.

After what had apparently transpired between Trisha and Judy, Nick was surprised at what emotions he had felt. At first it was a bit of shock and amusement. But then the idea of Judy kissing another mammal sparked a new emotion that caused the fox to realize something. He was jealous! He was jealous of Trisha getting to feel what Judy's felt like. He was jealous that he hadn't had the chance to experience that. He wasn't angry though. Well not at the bunnies at least. He was a little angry at himself for having put them all on this situation though.

Nick just needed to talk to Judy. Clear the air between them. And maybe ask her to forgive him for the rollercoaster he had put her through over the past few days. He now had a small taste of what his partner had been experiencing and he had to admit, he hated it. He had to come clean! He had to tell Judy what he felt. Even though Nick didn't fully know what it was he was feeling right now.

As an image of Judy curled up on his lap flashed in his mind Nick felt a pang of something else. Before he could identify the feeling he was brought back into reality as an ambulance roared past, its sirens cutting through the normal sounds of the city.

Nick looked up and noticed his feet had almost brought him to his destination. The café he had suggested was just around the corner. Nick watched nervously as the ambulance drove down the street.

"Please don't turn right..." Nick muttered, hoping the rescue unit would continue down the blocks of buildings. It didn't. There was a screeching of tires as the vehicle made a sharp right turn. "Carrots!" Nick said in horror as he broke out into a desperate run.

When Nick turned the corner his whole world darkened. The café was just ahead of him. Parked right in front were two ambulances and a handful of ZPD vehicles.

"No, no please no!" The fox pleaded with the universe as he ran towards the scene.

Nick reached the café which had a large crowd of mammals around it, all vying for a chance to see what was going on. Nick weaved his way through the crowd, accidently bumping a few looky-loos with his cast. He blurted out a few quick apologies as he made his way to the café. When he reached the edge of the crowd he came across a line of bright yellow police tape. A few officers could be seen milling about the café while some maintained a perimeter on the scene.

The fox dove under the tape and reached into his pocket as a hippo in ZPD gear shouted and quickly moved in the Fox's direction. Nick managed to produce his shield and explain who he was before he was tossed from the scene.

"What happened?! I am supposed to be meeting my partner here for lunch!" Nick explained frantically. He looked around for a sign of Judy but the small gray bunny was nowhere to be seen.

"Some kind of physical altercation and a tough one at that!" The hippo said as quietly but firmly as he could, his eyes looking over to the nosey mammals that were crowding the café. "We just arrived on scene a minute ago. They are interviewing some folks now! No one has identified themselves as off duty yet so I don't know where your partner is."

Nick nodded and did his best not to panic as he scanned the café. His eyes fell on a pair of officers who were interviewing a handful of witnesses. A large polar bear was being treated at one of the tables by some medics while a cheetah was being lifted on a stretcher towards a waiting ambulance.

"She just started convulsing and growling!" The shaken looking waitress muttered as she looked up at the officers interviewing her. "I have no idea what happened! The rabbit I was trying to deal with pulled out his phone, sent something, smiled, and then the cheetah, she just screamed!"

"THE RABBIT" That was all Nick needed to hear as he leapt over to the witness.

"Rabbit? Was she a small gray? Purple eyes? Bright smile?!" Nick said as he interrupted the investigation. One of the officers began to turn to berate the frantic fox but froze when he recognized Nick.

"Wilde? What the hell are you doing here?" the officer, a large bison, asked in surprise.

"I'll explain later! The rabbit what did she look like?" Nick said as he went back to the waitress.

"It wasn't a female, no. He was dark gray though, he was in a business suit. But he was here with a friend, she looked just like the one you just described!" the waitress explained nervously. "She had fainted and he was trying to help her to her feet. He kept insisting that he would take care of her!"

Nick felt his insides churn as he listened to the waitress. Something had happened to Judy obviously. The fox waited patiently as he did his best to hold in his frustration.

"When I told him I needed to get the manager he insisted she was fine. But my boss said we aren't allowed to let passed out patrons be carried off without being looked at. When I told the rabbit that he…he just smiled," the witness shivered as the memory sent chills through her body. "Then he pulled out his phone and typed something, a few seconds later that's when the cheetah went savage!"

"The cheetah did not go savage!" The polar bear who was being treated just a table away had spoken up. Nick and the interviewing officers looked over at the polar bear. The large predator was in a torn up light blue dress shirt. Splotches of crimson covered his apparel and white fur. His arm was currently being wrapped by a medic who looked rather annoyed. "No, this was night howler! I know it! I have seen it on news!" the bear was firm in his statement and spoke with a slight accent. Though the occasional word was missing from his sentences Nick understood what the witness was saying.

"That would explain it!" the waitress piped up as she looked over at the polar bear. "She just started going nuts, it made no sense, she had just been talking with her friends and then out of nowhere she starts attacking!"

"I have seen before! I knew what would happen!" The polar bear started again. "I see her, she is obviously not herself, and I know what would happen next! So I look to my wife and I think to myself 'Arch we must get wife to safety!' then I look at all these other innocent ones and I think 'what about them, who will get them to safety?' That's when I know what I must do!"

"He saved us! The whole restaurant! He pinned her to the ground!" The waitress almost cheered as tears began to roll down her face.

"No! I just lay on her till help comes! Worth a few scratches!" The polar bear said modestly as he tried to shrug the praise aside. This earned him a gentle kiss on the cheek by a lovely looking female polar bear who had been standing next to him during the interview.

"What about Judy?" Nick interrupted which caused the group to stare at him. "The female gray? The one who was passed out?!"

The waitress looked at the ground, no longer able to face Nick. "I am sorry but in all the confusion she and her friend disappeared."

Nick could feel his whole world start to collapse as he heard the waitress explain what had happened to his partner.

-A short time later at the ZPD-

Nick felt helpless. Not because the arm that was still wrapped in a cast, not because he still hadn't been issued a tranq tank, and not because he was still not technically an active officer. No he felt helpless for a far worse reason. Nick was sitting just outside of Bogos office as he looked down at his cellphone.

Nick had only received silence from his partner on the phone. He began to go through his contacts and asked if anyone had heard from his partner. There were a few jokes here and there about him losing his bunny or how he should probably just check his bedroom. However soon Judy's friends all began to grow worried as no one could track down the bunny. That is when things took a serious turn.

Normally with no evidence of danger the ZPD would wait 24 hours before declaring someone as a missing mammal. When it came to the officers and staff of the ZPD though it was only 2 hours. At that point phone calls would be made to emergency contacts, friends, family, and anyone who may know where the missing officer would be. This being Judy though Bogo ordered the policy to be changed to immediately when he was informed on the circumstances. The whole situation screamed mammal napping.

A team was sent to the café to interview the wait staff once more. The manager of the café explained his policy and why the waitress had tried to stop this strange rabbit from taking an unconscious patron away without having the paramedics look over her first. Several officers were dispatched to all the major hospitals in hopes that there was just a misunderstanding and Judy had been checked in by a Good Samaritan. There was no such luck however as all the teams turned up empty. The dispatch center looked into their call history and reported they had not received a call or dispatched anyone to an unconscious bunny anywhere in the city. This was troublesome news and just confirmed Nick's worse fears.

Someone had suggested checking out the traffic and security cameras around the café. Of course the universe would not let them off that easy. The café's cameras had only caught an image of Judy sitting down at her table before going completely blank. Minutes later all the cameras in the surrounding vicinity went to static. This was most defianetly not a coincidence.

Normally Nick would have been brought in at this point to keep him in the loop since he was her emergency contact in the city and also one of the last mammals to have seen her the night before. Since Nick had stumbled onto the scene however it was not necessary. He had remained in contact with the ZPD the whole time. Much to the fox's annoyance though a few intrusive questions had been brought up about why Judy was at that café.

"We were just meeting up for some food and a little chat! That's it! She must have gotten there early like she always does!" Nick had explained for what felt like the tenth time. No one was putting any blame on him and he did his best to be understanding. The interviewers must have just been hoping that some clue would magically land in their laps if they kept asking the same questions.

Bogo constantly checked in with Nick and gave him updates as teams across the city reported information about the search. He had even taken the time to sit with Nick and convince the fox to remain close during the search. Nick on several occasions had offered to take a vehicle and assist in the search which the chief shot down. "No Wilde, I need you here, and you will want to be here when we find her! Trust me!" the warmness in Bogos voice was meant to calm Nick but it actually did the exact opposite. Nick wouldn't admit it but he was scared, terrified actually, and Bogo treating him this way just made him more on edge since it was almost like the chief was trying to comfort Nick and prepare the fox for the worse. No, the worse would not happen! Not if Nick could help it.

As Nick sat outside of Bogos office his mind wandered to the night before. Judy was sleeping in his lap just hours ago. She was so beautiful when she slept. Nick shook his head and snapped back to reality. This wouldn't help Judy right now and neither would this mopping. Nick was about to storm back into Bogos office and inform the chief he wanted to be out on the streets searching for his partner when a commotion down in the main atrium caught his attention. There was a few sharp shouts and then the sound of many different footsteps moving on the first floor. Nick practically leapt off the bench by Bogos office and ran to the railing that would let him look down at the commotion on the lower levels. Nick scanned the scene and his heart started to race as he saw several officers run out the front door while others began to head deeper into the ZPD in the direction of the garage on the bottom level of the building.

Bogo's door burst open and the large Cape buffalo stormed from his office, a cellphone pressed against his head as his heavy footsteps moved with a purpose. Nick looked over at his chief and tried his best to get his attention. It took a minute and Nick finally gave up on going the silent route. "Chief!" Nick practically shouted.

Bogo did not stop but looked over his shoulder and shook his head, "It's not her, but it's not good, with me Wilde!" The buffalo bellowed as he continued towards the elevators.

"Care to explain there Buffalo bu….Chief?" Nick asked as he had to jog after his superior. He was about to let his famous nick name slip but thought better of it. The chief had a lot on his plate and the last thing he needed was to spend precious seconds correcting Nick's behavior.

"I would if I knew what exactly was happening!" Bogo muttered as the elevator door opened up. Down in the atrium a series of chimes began to ring out from different radios as a mass tone out was sent via radio waves. Nick felt like there was a rock in the pit of his stomach. Whatever was happening obviously wasn't good and he had a feeling that it was not going to help with the current missing Judy case.

Minutes later Nick found himself in the EOC, Emergency Operations Command, in the dispatch center of the ZPD on the second floor. The room was normally reserved for disasters or table top exercises. At the moment however it was dedicated to a massive crime wave that had suddenly swept over Zootopia. No one knew exactly where the first crime had started but soon the call takers at the dispatch center were overwhelmed with calls coming from all over the city.

Even a mass metropolis like Zootopia never had so many calls for help at once. Sure there would be the occasional car crash, robbery, and fight calls that came in all at once. This however was something different. It was almost like the city was under siege. What was worse was when the first night howler call came. A report of a savage mammal at a local park was called in. Then a second one in a different part of the city was called as a report of a tiger at a movie theater came in. Then a third night howler call which was quickly followed by a fourth.

The dispatch lieutenant, a veteran of the service for over 10 years, immediately saw the pattern and mobilized a small team to head to the EOC. All night howler calls were then transferred and handled by the team so the other dispatchers could handle other emergencies which were popping up all over the city.

Nick eyed a large monitor at the edge of the room which was almost the size of a small movie theater screen which was displaying a series of purple dots over a map of Zootopia. Every minute or so another purple dot would appear as information on another call was brought up. Bogo stood behind a raised desk next to the lieutenant of the com center, an annoyed looking panda, and watched the scene unfold.

"How many so far?" Bogo asked in a gruff voice as he looked over at a small computer screen that was raised to his level and watched as an officer was assigned to each call.

"We have 18…no 19 calls related to this so far! Irdis I am going to need more officers! I already had a traffic incident outside of Tundra town taking up some units. There is also a concert going on, we were shorthanded to begin with..." The panda said as he began to type away at a laptop he had brought from the main dispatch center.

"What about the tactical units, detectives, meter details?" Bogo asked as he tried to remain calm.

"Need your permission before dispatching them. Besides some of them aren't exactly equipped to handle a night howler attack!" The lieutenant pointed out.

"You have permission, get this under control!" Bogo said as he pulled his cellphone out and began to scroll through his contacts.

"What about the missing officer? I have dozens units patrolling the city to search for her! We have no leads! I need those units!" The panda pointed out. Not knowing that Judy's partner was just a few feet away.

Bogo looked from the dispatch officer and then over to Nick, a look of sadness and calculation on his face.

Nick looked at his chief with desperation. He then took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "You know what carro….officer Hopps would want..." He muttered softly. This tore Nick's heart right out as he felt he was signing away his partner's fate. He had to keep reminding himself what his little bunny would be telling him right now. The city came first. It was their duty. It was her duty.

Bogo looked away from Nick, unable to bring himself to look at the defeated fox as he gave the order, " Pull what units you need but keep the others active in the search, as soon as this is over though I want what resources we can get back looking for Officer Hopps!" Bogo took in a deep breath and then braved a look over to Nick. "I am sorry Nick, we will find her!"

That was probably the first time Bogo had ever used the fox's first name without shouting. It hurt Nick to hear that tone as it was a way to reassure the fox. He didn't need reassurance, he just needed Judy.

Somewhere in the EOC a females voice suddenly shouted from a console, "Sir I just got a call from Rescue 23! They were in the area of the night howler call at the park. They claim there is no one in the area displaying savage traits. They declared the scene safe and after interviewing a few civilians they report that this may have been a false call!"

Both Bogo and the Dispatch leader looked at one another. Bogo had a look of hope but the panda kept a solemn face. "Reroute our responding units to the next call!" The panda barked as he looked over at the call monitor as another set of night howler attack calls appeared on screen. "Sorry Irdis but we still have to treat every call as active….I can't reroute anyone back to the search yet!"

The buffalo's chest swelled as he drew in a sharp breath, obviously wanting to try and do something more than just sit and wait.

Nick looked over once more to the large screen and watched as one dot disappeared only to be replaced by two more in different parts of the city.

Why was this happening now? Right when Judy disappeared? Was all this connected?

Nick would have his answer as his phone began to vibrate and give off a sharp ringing noise. This was actually very weird since his programed ring tone was something far softer. Nick pulled out his phone and froze as he looked at the screen. There were two things on the screen which caused him to shake with fear. The first was a picture of Judy, her head slumped down, her body tied to a chair as her legs were bound and then there was the caller ID which read: "Pick up Nick!"

Nick felt like his whole body was suddenly made of cement. A great weight was carried with every movement and as he pressed the answer button. The fox felt a cold sweat begin to form on his fur.

"Hello?" Nick answered as calmly as he could as he looked over at Bogo who was currently arguing with the dispatch leader.

"Nick! How are you doing?" Came a voice that was unfamiliar to him. The caller sounded happy and almost giddy as the fox answered the call.

"Who is this?" Nick said, trying to maintain a calm tone but knowing full well the low growl gave it away.

"Straight to business? I can respect that! You are a savvy business mammal after all! I think you and I will get along splendidly," the voice on the other side began to ramble off, "anyways to business: I have Judy."

"You the one that took the picture?" Nick growled, referencing the chilling image that had flashed on his phone moments ago.

"You like? Might break into the photography field when I am all done with this!"

"What do you want?" Nick asked with such a coldness that it could have frozen his phone.

"I want you to come and find Judy of course! It would be a real shame for her to go out with a bang after all so I thinks it's best you come and collect her!" the voice said with a chuckle.

"Then why don't you just tell me where you are so I can come get her, I may even bring some friends who I am sure would be happy to meet you too!" Nick said, risking a small amount of humor.

The voice on the other end of the phone began to laugh. "I like you Nick! I really hope you find Judy, would be ashamed to lose this humor if she dies!"

Nick felt pure rage course through him as his grip tightened on the phone, "listen you son of a bitch!"

"No you listen here foxy! I have the bunny! I have the bombs! I make the rules! You raise your voice at me again like that and I will end this right now!" The voice on the other side of the call was not shouting nor did they seem angry. They kept everything cool and collective as they threatened to take Judy's life.

Nick stood up straighter and remained silent.

"So I will be texting you a series of messages. I think it would be in your best interest to view them. Think of them as clues to a treasure! What a treasure she is by the way, why you never dated is beyond me!"

There was a small buzzing noise as Nick received a message on his phone.

"That was the first one! Oh and I attached a video for your viewing pleasure! Say hi to Bogo for me!" there was a click and with that the mystery caller had hung up.

Nick looked at the screen and saw he had two messages waiting for him. When he opened his messenger app his eyes instantly went to a video that had been sent to him.

The clips preview image was Judy sitting in a chair with her waist tied by a series of ropes and her ankles cuffed to what appeared to be a cement block. Nicks paws were shaking when he pressed play. The video was only a few seconds long. Judy began to stir from her sleep as her head began to roll slightly and rest on her shoulder. The bunny let out a yawn. As her eyes opened she tensed up as she took in her surroundings. She slowly raised a paw which had a heavy looking metal bracelet around it which was attached to a long chain so her paws could remain free but she couldn't go far. As both her eyes opened Nick had to do his best from bursting out with rage, fear filled Judy's bright purple eyes as she looked around and her eyes fell on something off camera. Whatever it was it caused her to frantically reach down and try to pull the rope from her waist. She suddenly froze and looked up at the camera, her paws shaking as they slowly moved away from the rope. The video froze as it came to an end.

The message under the video was the first clue: "Get your tickets! New movie just came out. I prefer the Zootopia Cinema at the city center for my movie going experiences! Ask for the bunny special! It's a blast!"

"BOGO!" Nick shouted so loud that all the chatter in the large room suddenly stopped as the mammals in the EOC went silent and looked at the fox. The chief looked over at Nick with anger at first but then concern washed over his expression as he studied Nick.

The fox was doing his best but his paw was shaking as he held up his phone, "He has Judy!"

There were no questions. No second guessing. Just action. Bogo took charge and did his best to remain cool and calm, as a leader he knew full well his officers life's relied on the fact he could keep focused under pressure. The buffalo gave off an authoritative essence that caused those he looked at want to snap to attention and salute.

Nick had explained the call he just received and showed the video along with the cryptic clue. Bogo turned to the dispatch Lt who was busy looking at his monitor. After a few desperate clicks the panda looked at Bogo, "Closest motor unit is 10 minutes away, otherwise I have to pull units from night howler calls!"

"10 minutes?!" Both Nick and Bogo shouted in desperation. Normally 10 minutes wasn't anything. It was enough time to sing a song, maybe watch a silly internet video, or write a lovely poem for that girl you thought wass the bee's knees. 10 minutes in this case though could mean life or…well...Nick didn't want to think about what it could mean.

Nick never knew a cape buffalo could growl but apparently the chief was full of surprises as he began to scan the room for some kind of idea. The fox watched as the light bulb in Bogos brain clicked and the mammal reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone.

"Come on buffalo butt, get somebody! Anybody! Get me a meter maid! Anyone with wheels!" Nick thought to himself. Normally the fox would have already dashed out of the room and stolen a vehicle from the fleet downstairs. In his wounded state though he understood the danger of going out on his own. Plus he was apparently the only one the mammal nappers wanted to talk to so if he was incapacitated then it would be over for Judy.

"West! All my units are tied up! We have a lead on our missing officer Hopps! Please tell me you have someone still in the station!" Bogo was on the phone with some unknown mammal and Nick could only watch and hope for a miracle. Much to the Fox's relief Bogo beamed and then looked at Nick and nodded. "Good to hear! I'm sending her partner Officer Wilde to you now! You tell your team to do whatever it takes to find my officer!"

Bogo then hung up and turned to Nick and snapped his hooves as he pointed to the door. "Commander Westpaw of the tactical unit will be waiting at reception! Go!"

Nick couldn't remember the last time he had moved so quickly. The fox weaved through the halls and clumsily bumped into the wall occasionally. He was still somewhat off balance due to his cast which was more of a hindrance than a help today. The fox completely skipped the elevators and instead elected to go down the stairs. He skipped every other step and nearly tripped at the bottom. He righted himself last minute and dashed towards the atrium of the ZPD building.

Nick spotted commander Wespaw right away. She was a short coyote in a black polo shirt and tactical tan pants. Nick had a little trouble identifying her species at first until he realized what a rarity this was. Zootopia was a city full of different mammals from all over the globe. Some species were a little rarer than others. Commander Westpaw was a particular canine that normally kept to themselves. Her dark brown fur was well kept. Her pointed ears quickly shot up when she detected Nick's panting.

"Wilde?!" She asked with a stern voice as she observed the wheezing mammal running in her direction.

Nick just nodded quickly as he tried to catch his breath. Westpaw looked Nick up and down as the fox approached and then smirked as she turned and sprinted towards the doors that led out of the ZPD building. Nick cursed the short coyote but then understood her hurry. He gritted his teeth as he pushed through the stitch in his side and did his best to catch up.

"One of my detection teams was waiting for a vehicle repair down in the garage. They can get whatever job you need done! But if you get them hurt in the process your tail is mine! Understand?!" Westpaw explained as she opened the large doors to the ZPD building.

Though Nick had never met Commander Westpaw, he had heard about her. She was considered to be gruff and to the point when it came to dealing with anyone outside of her tactical units. However she had been seen on multiple occasions laughing and sharing jokes with her teams. On a few occasions some mammals had even heard her refer to her officers as "My boys!" or "My idiots". She was loved and respected by her teams and they would do anything she asked them to. She was also known for being fiercely protective of her operatives. Even the retired ones like Ty were under her watchful eye. If at any point there was the slightest rumor that someone intended to do her mammals wrong she would charge in like a mother protecting her cubs. Westpaw was both impressive and intimidating at the same time and Nick made a note not to call her fluff butt as he noticed her large bushy tail sway as they descended the steps of the ZPD building in haste.

A large ZPD SUV suddenly pulled in front of the steps. Its light bar and strobes currently flashing but the siren remained silent for the time being. The truck was not the standard patrol vehicle. Far from it, this thing looked more like a tank than a sports utility vehicle. Instead of the standard black and white the truck was painted black and green. The ZPD shield was on the front doors but so were several other stickers and logos. The ones that stuck out the most was a large set of red letters on the back set of windows. "K-9 Unit" Just beneath those letters was a small quote: "Try and run! We like fast food!"

Before joining the ZPD Nick would have been very nervous approaching this kind of vehicle. If Westpaw was any indicator as to the team inside he had a feeling he was about to come face to face with more canines, what kind though was a mystery. There were tons of different species of canines throughout Zootopia. While wolfs were in abundance throughout the city it was rare to actually see foxes. It was also rare to see coyotes since they liked to keep to their own kind. Westpaw must like to keep her kind close at hand. Not that there was anything wrong with that, it would just be a little awkward for a fox to be this close to so many different species of canine. Though they weren't considered enemies, some canine were not fans of others. There would be the occasional territorial problems in the city thanks to this.

Westpaw reached the truck first and opened the passenger door. The seat was empty and sitting in the driver's side of the vehicle was another canine. This particular mammal though was even odder to see than the coyote who lead them. The driver was a painted dog. This unique species of canine was most at home in the Savanna districts. The canines light brown fur was covered in a series of black splotches. If one looked close enough they would have detected a slight pattern. Some researches in Zootopia believed that these splotches revealed the canines personality traits. However this was only speculation. The ears which were currently raised and waiting for orders had an odd circular fashion to them which caused Nick to stare for a moment longer than he probably should have. The painted dog was just a few inches taller than Nick but seemed to be bulkier thanks to the tactical vest which was covered in various tools. The fox's eyes saw a nasty looking knife that uses must have been for more than just cutting food. Nick felt a slight hesitation when he realized the painted dog was sizing the fox up, staring at him and assessing Nick. "Sorry we ran a little late, Atom had trouble with his seat belt!" The painted dog muttered in a gruff voice as he nodded to the backseat.

Suddenly another painted dogs head popped between the passenger and driver seat from the second row of the vehicle. Nick cursed his luck slightly as he realized he was completely outnumbered. Why was he worried though? These were his fellow officers right? At the same time though the fox couldn't help but feel a little anxiety as he felt like an outcast in the group. As Nick studied the second painted dog though he felt more at ease. Atom, as the other canine had called him, seemed to be slightly lighter in color. The dark patches were more of a light cholcolate color and almost playful.

"Delta! Atom! This is Officer Wilde! He is the partner of our missing officer! He has a lead on her whereabouts! You will follow his instruction and go find our missing sister! Understand?" Westpaw said as she reached out and grabbed Nick's good arm and pulled the fox right up to her side as she gave her team their orders. Nick gave them a weak smile and then nodded. Atoms's bright yellow eyes shined and his mouth opened in a big grin when he saw Nick. The fox studied the painted dog for a moment and realized the canine was actually shaking with excitement. If Nick had been able to look around the passenger seat he would have seen a rapidly wagging tail poking out from a pair of tactical pants.

The painted dog nodded in Westpaws's direction and then looked at Nick, "Officer Wilde! My partner and I are ready to go find your missing bunny!" The words were encouraging and Nick felt a little more confident as he loaded up into the truck. Bek closed the door behind the fox and then patted the window, clearing the team to head out. "Where to Wilde?"

"It's Nick! First stop is Zootopia Cinemas in the city center!" Nick said as he opened the messenger app on his phone and reread the message he had received minutes earlier. Seconds later Nick had wished he had taken the extra moment or two to buckle up as he heard the engine rev and the sirens suddenly blare through a series of speakers. The truck burst to life and suddenly rocketed away from the ZPD building and down the block.

What should have taken them 10 minutes only took 3 as Delta drove like a mammal possessed. The canine was pushing his truck to the limits as he continued to redline the engine whenever there was a gap in traffic. "Move move move! Come on you blind or something!?" The tactical officer would shout as he came up to a group of cars that wouldn't move out of his way. "The lights mean I am in a hurry!" He shouted as he would lay on the emergency klaxon. On one occasion a rather ticked off pig gave them a rather rude hand gesture as they whizzed by. "Oh I hope the cameras got that guys plate!"

As they turned around a large shopping center the movie theater came into view. Nick felt his heart skip a beat as they sped down the street in the direction of their first stop. He also felt his heart continue to race as he realized his driver had no intention of stopping right away. "Stop….stop…STOP!" Nick said as he put his good paw on the dashboard and braced for a crash. At the very last second Delta hit the brakes and caused the tires to screech in protest as they nearly locked up. The SUV however came to a stop right on the side walk in front of the large cinema.

"Atom Stay!" Delta barked as he unbuckled and quickly exited the k9 vehicle. Nick followed the wild hunting dog who jogged down one end of a rather large line that lead to the box office.

"Why is it they only ever have one register open?!"

Nick shrugged and looked down at his cellphone as another minute passed. He then looked up at the box office attendant, a young looking porcupine who had a bored look on her face. There was a ram standing at the window looking up at the show times of the different movies. "Are you sure this is all you have?" He asked skeptically as if the theater was keeping a secret list of shows from him.

"Yes sir…" The porcupine muttered for what must have been the 100th time in their career.

"Well what time is Meowana playing?" The ram asked looking directly at the giant numbers that indicated the show times.

"Excuse me, sorry, police emergency!" Nick said, having no intention on waiting for the ram to complete his order.

"Hey! Watch it Fox! I was he…" The ram began to shout but Delta stepped into the mammals view and gave the ram a look that begged the mammal to try something.

Nick ignored the annoyed sounding ram and was suddenly very glad to have a fully armored canine backing him up. "One Bunny special please!"

The porcupine who had been watching the whole scene play out with interest suddenly smiled, "Oh you're with that scavenger hunt? Cool! Yeah I got this envelope for ya!" The box attendant said as she reached down and pulled a small envelope from under the counter.

Nick quickly grabbed the envelope and thanked the cinema employee before turning to Delta and nodding.

"By the way, theater workers hate your type of mammal! The damn show times are right there!" Delta shouted at the ram and then nodded to the porcupine who mouthed "Thank you".

Once back inside the ZPD vehicle Nick tore open the envelope as if it were about to catch on fire. Inside was a small card with a few lines of text. The first was a phone number followed by a phrase he needed to send.

"Great movie! Loved the female lead!" Nick had typed the message as instructed and sent it to a new unknown number. The seconds seemed to drag on as they waited for a response.

"I know right! Can't wait for the sequel! I am hoping for a romance sub plot if you ask me!" The message read. Had Nick not been eagerly waiting for the next clue that would bring him closer to Judy he may have picked up on the subtle hint. Instead it went right over his head.

Another message suddenly popped on screen followed by a video. Nick read the text so he could give Delta a direction before opening the video.

"Life can be a rollercoaster sometimes. Good thing there is a place like the 10-7 to unwind! Tell Petey that Judy says hello!"

Delta threw the ZPD truck in reverse and quickly got them back on the road. Seconds later they were flying down the chaotic streets of the city in the direction of every officer's favorite bar.

Nick took a deep breath as he pressed his paw against the screen and played the video he had just received.

The image of Judy in the chair filled the screen once more. Apparently she had been having a conversation with some entity off screen. This was a little snippet of that talk. "No, it wasn't like that. I mean I admit I thought he was handsome the first time we met. But it wasn't like love at first sight. It took a little time but I guess I began to develop feelings for him when he returned from the academy. Every once and a while I would catch myself staring at him. And then there was the dream which threw me through a loop..." Judy was looking at the ground in front of her. A defeated look on her beautiful face.

"What dream?" Came a robotic voice just off camera.

Judy looked up right at the camera and glared.

The video stopped. Nick could feel his blood begin to boil. Whoever was doing this was sick that was for sure. They wanted to torment him while he raced to find Judy.

The 10-7 bar was farther away than the cinema had been from their starting point so it took a little while longer to get there. The whole time Delta began to grill Nick about possible locations Judy could be or enemies they may have. Nick knew the officer was only trying to help but it made the fox angrier every time he couldn't answer.

"What about the voice? The one calling you? Recognize them at all?" Delta asked as if Judy would just pop up if Nick knew the answer.

"No! Delta! I don't recognize the voice!" He practically shouted. Nick felt a little bad knowing that the fellow canine was just trying to help. When the fox looked over he noticed that the shouting had not seemed to faze the other officer as Delta seemed to be lost in thought as he tried to think of more questions that could lead to finding Judy.

"Thought you knew everyone slick?" Judy's voice filled Nick's head. The thought made Nick grip his phone tightly.

"Please hold on Carrots! I'm coming for you!" He thought in an effort to keep himself focused.

By the time they reached the front of the 10-7 bar over 18 precious minutes had passed. It would have been a great deal more had it not been for Delta's wild driving. Nick bet that even Flash would have a challenge if the two ever raced.

Nick already had the door of the SUV open before Delta had managed to put it in park. The fox ran up to a bored looking rhino who was currently texting on his phone as he leaned against the bar. The sun was still up on the horizon so the bar was most likely deserted on the inside which left the rhino with some free time.

As Nick approached the bouncer looked up and smiled, "Hey Nick! How are you doing? Is that Delta? Oh man long time brother! How you been patches?!" Nick couldn't believe he had just heard Petey use that name. As the fox spent more time near the painted dogs he remembered a few facts about the particular species of canine. One such fact was not to bring up their splotches or spots as they were considered somewhat sacred. Luckily for Petey however Delta just gave a smug smirk as the officer held his tounge.

Nick chanced a look over at Delta who gave the rhino a not so polite salute as he rested against the hood of the truck, knowing he wasn't needed to help Nick get this particular clue.

"Petey! Judy says Hi! Please tell me you have something for me!" Nick blurted out desperately.

The rhino chuckled for a moment as he produced a small envelope from his jacket, "This came in a little while ago."

Nick scooped the envelope out of Petey's hooves and tore it open.

"Who dropped it off Petey?" Delta asked. Nick cursed himself on the inside knowing he should have asked that. It could have led to more information on all this.

"Courier dropped it off and gave me the instructions, why?" Petey asked with a confused look.

"No reason," Delta grumbled as Nick approached the SUV once more. "Hey that Trisha bunny working tonight?"

The rhino began to laugh, "Man I told you already. You're barking up the wrong tree on that one! Think she has a thing for bunnies! She aint into that canine junk! Especially with one that cant decide what color he is!"

"We will see!" Delta shouted as he loaded back into the SUV. "Remind me to see if our tranq darts can pierce a rhino's hide," the cape hunting dog muttered to Nick as he shook his head.

Nick took a second to give Delta an odd look after hearing the last conversation. The canine caught on and rolled his eyes.

"Oh I'm sorry! Are fox's the only ones allowed to date bunnies now? Didn't get that memo!" He said as he shook his head.

"Just didn't peg you as the type," Nick muttered as he began to read the next clue.

"Oh that's rich coming from you Wilde!"

"We are partners, that's it!"

"You're an idiot if that's it!" Delta shot back. When this was over Nick wanted to buy Delta a beer or maybe pour a beer on him, he would have to decide later.

Nick pulled out his phone and began to type another message to a new number: "Movie and then drinks makes for a great date night!"

"You know that Trisha is crazy right? I think she has a thing for Judy?" Nick muttered as they waited for a response.

"If that's what it takes to be crazy then call me insane!" Delta muttered and gave Nick a nudge on the arm. The fox slowly looked over at the painted dog who had just joked about having a thing for Nick's partner.

The fox's ears drooped and an annoyed look crossed his face as he saw the Delta start to shake as the mammal tried to hold in some laughter.

Maybe it was the confidence that both Delta and Atom gave off. Or maybe it was the joking around. Whatever it was for the first time that day though Nick felt like everything would be ok. He needed this. Judy needed this.

Nick's phone beeped as a new message arrived. The fox eagerly opened the message and viewed the next clue.

"That is a great date night if you ask me! Only if take the right girl though! You know Judy is right handed right?!" Nick's blood boiled at the casual message. Whoever was doing this was forcing Nick to text like he was talking to an old friend. Nick's mind began to race as he tried to think of all the mammals he knew in Zootopia and who could possibly be doing this. No mammal in particular came to mind.

"You know what will really win your dates heart? Winning her a stuffed animal from a game! Head over to the Manatee Square Garden arena and check out the souvenir stand by entrance 2!" The message was accompanied by another video which Nick began to watch as Deltapulled the SUV into traffic and sped in the direction of the Beach Blocks district.

The video that accompanied this message began to play and Nick braced himself for what was next.

Judy wasn't in this video. It was obviously the same room she was in though as Nick recognized the walls. This time the images were of a large digital clock that had a series of numbers counting down. 62 minutes was currently displayed in bright red. Nick felt a weight inside of him plummet at the realization of what he was seeing. The Beach Block district was at least 25 minutes away. That was pretty much half of the time left before..well Nick didn't want to think about what would happen when the numbers ran out.

"We have 62 minutes, "Nick muttered as he looked straight ahead at the street as they zipped past a park.

"I'll get you there with time to spare Wilde!" Delta nearly shouted through gritted teeth. The atmosphere had seriously darkened in the truck now as a number had been put in all of the canines minds.

"Hang on Judy, we're coming!"

The next clue was a little difficult to get to which only made things more stressful for the team as they knew they had a rapidly draining timeline to complete how many other tasks were left. It took far too long to get through the traffic jam that lead to the arena and even longer to get to the 2nd entrance of the large Manatee Square Arena. When they finally reached the souvenir stand Nick desperately tried to explain what was going on. Unlike the previous clues this one was even harder to get to because no one knew exactly what was going on. Nick was pleading with an attendant at one point when suddenly the fox felt a soft paw grab his shoulder.

Nick looked up to see an excited Atom pointing at a series of large stuffed animals hanging inside the souvenir stand. One in particular seemed very out of place for a sports game. It was a giant carrot with a bright green J painted on the side.

"Atom you genius!" Nick shouted as he jumped over the counter and grabbed the carrot. One of the cashiers to the stand began to make a fuss but stopped mid-sentence as they looked over at the two k-9s.

As the three officers made their way back to the ZPD truck Nick was squeezing the carrot and inspecting it. Hoping that somehow the carrot would reveal the next clue. A small envelope was hastily taped to the top. Nick tore the envelope and tossed the stuffed carrot aside. Atom however caught the toy with much enthusiasm and gave it a big squeeze before looking at Delta.

"Atom, you have enough of that junk at home!" The fellow painted dog barked as he jogged to keep up with Nick. The lighter of the dogs had a defeated look on his face as he scanned the crowd. He ran up to a surprised looking cheetah cub and handed the carrot over as if he were passing some kind of Olympic torch. Nick missed the scene as he was too busy tearing the envelope open to read the next clue.

By the time they had reached the ZPD truck Nick had pulled out his phone and was texting the next phrase that would get them another clue.

"What's this one say?" Delta asked as he buckled in and prepared for the next destination.

"Got something cute for someone cute" Nick grumbled.

"Thought you shouldn't call bunnies cute!" Delta said as he put the truck into drive and began to weave the truck out of the very crowded parking lot.

Nick didn't answer and instead waited for the next message which arrived right on cue.

"Aww, that's so sweet Nick! Just like your next clue! Sometimes it's nice to treat yourself to something sweet! I prefer cotton candy myself! There is something waiting for you at the Sweet Desert Club over in Sahara Square!"

"This guy must have been raised by circus folk," Nick muttered as he waited for another video to arrive. Suddenly Nick had it! All the clues before! They weren't just clues for the next destination! They were clues for the Judy's location! "I know where Judy is!" Nick shouted with excitement.

Nick threw caution to the wind and wrote out another message for whoever was doing this.

"Having fun at the carnival?"

Nick waited for some kind of response. Instead of a text though he received a call.

"Wow Nick! Impressive! You know I go to this trivia night on Tuesdays over in the forest district. With you on my team I may finally have a chance to beat those damn college students! After all this is done want to join me? There are 20 bar bucks on the line!" The voice sounded just as happy as it had earlier that day. Apparently this mammal was truly enjoying this little scavenger hunt they had created for Nick.

"As much fun as that sounds gonna have to say no. Where is my partner?!"

"The Wild Times amusement park! I just had to use it! I mean you are in the name! It just worked so well!"

Nick let out a deep sigh at the bad pun and shook his head, "When this is over..."

"Oh Nick! It's just begun!" The voice interrupted, "Tunnel of Love! You have hmm...let's see. 27 minutes should do it! Good luck!" With that the phone went dead.

Nick looked over at Delta, determination across his face, "Wild Times amusement park! We have 27 minutes!"

Delta nodded and with that they flew down the street to a destination Nick knew was roughly 20 minutes away.

The Wild times Amusement Park had seen better days. Back many years ago it had been one of the hotspots of the city. Children and adults from all over the metropolis would swarm the park during summer vacation to ride its many rollercoasters and view its wonderful attractions. Through the years however it had trouble keeping up with demand and soon was seen as outdated. The owners had closed its doors years ago and the park had been left to fall apart on the outskirts of the city.

The sun was almost done setting and darkness began to steadily creep over the city. By the time the team had reached the amusement park it was covered in darkness. There were only a handful of flickering work lights left to illuminate the abandoned theme park. The whole scene was somewhat spooky and belonged in a late night horror show.

Nick's night vision however allowed him to see rather clearly in the amusement parks darkened state and he scanned the area as Delta drove the ZPD truck through the rows of abandoned attractions.

"Team 16 back up is 10-51. 5 mikes out!" Came a dispatcher over the radio in the vehicle.

While on the way to the amusement park Nick had called the ZPD headquarters and given Bogo an update on the search for Judy. Apparently things had not gotten better back at the headquarters as calls continued to pour in. Though most of them were false alarms some would turn out to be the real deal. Enough chaos was happening in the city to keep most of the units pre occupied. When Bogo heard they had a possible location for Judy however he pulled every available unit he could and sent them to the amusement park. Unfortunately with the park being in a rather sparsely populated area there had been no units close by. It would take them time to get there to back up the three canines.

"Team 16 copies! We are 10-97 the park, performing a 61!" Delta responded to the dispatcher before putting the radio back in its cradle.

"There! Tunnel of love!" Nick said as he pointed over to a small red building next to a rundown sweets shop.

Delta pulled the vehicle right up to the front of the building and pulled a lever which popped the back door of the truck. As Nick exited the vehicle and jogged towards the abandoned ride he heard a sharp "tssssst!" Noise coming from the truck. Nick turned around in time to see Delta and Atom running up behind him. Both the dogs were now carrying large assault looking weapons. Nick took note that while Delta's was a standard black, Atom's weapon was navy with a series of orange and white stripes. The painted dog grinned as he clicked the safety off and gave Nick a wink. The words Tranq Tank R6 were engraved on the side of the weapon.

"Alright, Wilde this is how it goes! I know Judy is in there but we also have to be ready for anything else! You stick between Atom and I and do as we say! I will not fail this mission because you stepped on a pressure plate! Got me?" Delta whispered as he took on a more serious tone than Nick had seen from the painted dog. Delta was like a different dog when on scene.

Though Nick wanted to ignore the order and charge right in he knew that would be a stupid move. He couldn't rescue Judy if he was killed by some trap that was most likely set up inside. The fox looked at his cellphone and did the math in his head.

"We have 6 minutes!" Nick reminded them all. The dogs looked at one another and then back at Nick.

"We will get her out! Let's go!" Delta said as he aimed his weapon up and began to scan the large darkened entrance to the abandoned ride.

Normally guests on the ride would sit in a small wooden boat built for two as a gentle current pulled them along to different scenes of love and cuteness. The idea of the ride was to give mammals a chance to get a little more intimate during their stay at the park. Now however the water had all dried up and the boats were just rotting pieces of wood.

As Delta and Nick jumped down into the dried up section of the ride Atom made a small series of sniffing noises. Both Nick and Delta's ears twitched at the sound. Nick continued to look forward while Delta looked back at his partner nervously.

"Seriously?" Delta whispered which caused Nick to turn back.

The lighter painted dog made a series of paw signals. He pointed to his nose and then held up his paw. He held up four fingers and then closed them rapidly.

"What's that mean?!" Nick said as quietly as he could.

"Atom's got something. Explosive odor within 400 ft...Damn it!" Delta said as he shook his head. The darker of the painted dogs then reached for his radio and keyed up and whispered into the microphone. "Control this is team 16. Explosives detected on site. Going off frequency. Have all units create a perimeter! No one enters till we give all clear!"

The African canine then reached down and turned off his radio and looked at Nick, "We can't risk frequency interference, Nick turn your phone off!" the tactical canine instructed as he pulled his own cellphone out and shut it off. Atom and Nick did the same. The whole situation caused Nick to feel even more uneasy. On top of that they were wasting valuable time.

"How come he picked it up before you?" Nick risked asking. Not knowing if Delta would feel insulted or not.

"How come you didn't?!" Delta shot back sternly as he eyed the fox. "Atom there is special ok? His sniffer is a lot stronger than ours and he works on another level! He finds shit! My job is just to make sure it doesn't hit the fan or Atom in the process! Got it NICK?"

"Nick…?" The voice was faint but Nick knew it anywhere. Judy was calling out to him! She sounded close!

Nick couldn't stop himself as he suddenly started to run down the old ride path.

"Nick, damnit you stupid bastard!" Delta growled as he tried to stop the fox. It was too late as Nick weaved past the surprised looking canine and towards his partner's voice. "Atom rapid detection! Go loud!"

As Nick ran down the abandoned tunnel he could hear two pairs of large paws behind him moving quickly. He could also hear a loud snorting noise as he assumed Atom was trying to breath in every odor he could to try and find where the explosive threat was.

As Nick came around a small bend in the ride his eyes had to adjust to the illuminated room. Nick took in the scene and the first thought was relief as he saw Judy sitting in a chair across from him. The second one was that of dread and realization. "I think I found the bomb before Atom did!" He muttered as the two tactical officers came round the bend behind him.

Nick felt a paw on his back just before he was shoved in Judy's direction, "Get her, we got this!" Delta barked as he slung his weapon over his shoulder and studied the odd looking device with the giant red clock. The counter was already down to 2:21 and dropping fast.

Nick didn't need to be told twice as he practically dove to Judy. He wanted to embrace her at that very second. Just to hold her in his arms and reassure her it would be alright. He knew better and instead began to attack the rope that had been tied around Judy's chest and waist.

"Nick I am so sorry! He tranqed me! I wanted to get free but he said if I tried then he would just set that thing off!" Judy explained as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It's ok Carrots! I got this! We are gonna cut this rope and then undo some chains and then boom, you're out of here!" Nick explained as he frantically pulled at the ropes.

"Poor choice of words there Wilde!" Delta shouted from the corner of the room as he laid on his stomach and examined the device carefully.

Nick winced and realized what he said was probably in poor taste. He just hoped it wasn't the last time he would say something stupid in front of his partner.

Nick managed to tear the ropes loose and untied Judy's waist. He then looked down at the large cement blocks that Judy's legs were currently chained to. The fox's eyes then went to the chain that was wrapped around Judy's wrists. Even if he had the tools necessary to pry this stuff open it would take him at least 10 minutes. Nick's eyes darted around the room for some way out. Some option he hadn't tried yet. He looked over his shoulder at the clock which now read 0:59.

There wasn't enough time. He couldn't do it. It was just as he realized this did he feel Judy's soft paw on his cheek. He turned and looked at his beautiful partner, defeat filling his bright green eyes.

"Hey, it's okay!" Judy said softly as she gave Nick a warm grin. Tears filled her eyes and began to pour down her cheeks. "I'm okay, I got to see you one last time!"

"No, don't you say that Carrots! This isn't over yet!" Nick said, his voice shaking.

"Dumb fox," Judy began as she reached out and gave one of Nick's paws a loving squeeze.

"Atom get out of here! Tell them this thing is Stat 2! Go now!" Delta barked at his partner. Nick heard the other painted canine suddenly rush out of the room and back down the rides main tunnel.

"Please go Nick!" Judy said, the warm in her eyes fading as she looked over Nick's shoulder and then back at her fox. "Please, just go..."

Nick just smirked and shook his head.

"Nick please!" Judy begged as tears of sorrow rolled down her cheeks. She knew what it meant by trying to send him away. What would happen to her if she managed to convince him? She also knew what it meant for him. It meant he would survive. He would not become a black and white picture. He would go on.

Delta cursed from the corner of the room as he continued to frantically fiddle with the different parts of the bomb. The numbers continued to countdown as the end approached.

"Please if you really care about me you will leave! You will both leave!" she said a little louder as her eyes darted to the tactical officer who was mumbling to himself as he worked.

"Not happening!" Delta said firmly without looking up as he pulled a large yellow wire from the device. The stern looking canine examined it and then quickly tossed it aside as if it were a piece of paper.

"Why are you doing this?!" Judy asked as more tears welled up in her eyes. Her lip was quivering as she gazed into Nicks bright emerald eyes. "Please…?"

Nick smirked and shook his head once more. The fox was resolved to his fate as well and had made his choice. He didn't look scared or worried or terrified. He actually looked happy as the clock behind him continued to tick away. Every passing second was one closer to the end.

As Judy studied her partner she began to feel her muscles relax and her lips stopped shaking. The tears were no longer of sadness but of joy as she took a deep breath.

"Judy I am sorry," Nick whispered as he placed his good paw on Judy's cheek and tenderly wiped a tear away.

"This isn't your fault Nick," Judy said softly as she tried to reassure her fox.

Nick shook his head and chuckled, "Not about this…about before..."

Judy tilted her head in confusion before a look of realization crossed her face. It was slowly coming together as she thought what Nick could possibly be sorry for. Her lips turned into a sweet smile as she let out a deep sigh.

"Dumb fox"

"Sly bunny"

With that Nick leaned towards Judy as her eye lids slowly drooped. Nick did not hesitate or take things slow. There was no 90/10 scenario here. The fox knew what he wanted to do. As his lips pressed gently against Judy the bunny let out a small yet happy sigh. This wasn't a dream. There were no alarms, no nurses shaking Judy awake, no sudden noises to stop what was happening at this very moment. Judy slowly wrapped her arms around Nick's neck as they continued their warm embrace. The chains falling across Nick's back and then slowly wrapping him up to his partner.

They parted for only a second so they could look at one another. Nicks smug smirk stayed on his face as Judy's expression suddenly looked bright and care free.

"You know you love me," Judy teased as she gently rubbed her nose against Nicks.

For the first time Nick responded differently to their old mantra. Judy felt it was bitter sweet that she would only experience this once since it caused her heart to swell up with more happiness than she thought she could ever experience.

"Yes I do," Nick whispered as he pressed his lips against Judy once more and continued the kiss they had shared moments before.

'You know there are far worse ways to go,' the familiar voice in Judy's head piped up. Judy agreed. If she was to leave this world right now she was alright with it. She was saddened that she wouldn't get to say good bye to her family, share one last joke with her friends, and maybe kick Jim right in the balls. However she was just happy to finally be sharing a kiss with Nick. Not just any kiss. This was not simple peck, or a farewell smooch. This was the kiss that carried with it passion, warmth, and love.

As the seconds passed the couple did not part. Both of them continued to hold one another close, resolute that this was the way they wanted to leave the world.

There was a small clicking noise which caused the couple to flinch and suddenly grip onto each other. Both thinking it was the start to some loud blast that would sweep them away. However a few more seconds pasted and the partners were still there.

Another clicking noise filled the tunnel and Judy's ears both perked up as she tried to figure out what was making the sound. Nick pulled away from the kiss and looked over his shoulder. Judy took a chance and looked around Nick towards the source of the sound.

Delta was leaning against the large the device, the clock flashing 00:00 , as a wicked grin crossed the canine's face. He took a moment and then pressed a button on his cellphone which was raised in front of him, pointed right at Nick and Judy. There was a small flash followed by the familiar clicking noise.

"What are you doing?" Nick blurted out in both disbelief and relief.

"Oh…nothing…" Delta said as his paws began to furiously type something on his phone. There was a small whooshing noise from the phone before the tactical officer returned it to a small clip on his belt.

"What about the bomb?" Nick said as he waved his arms in the direction of the heap of metal and wires.

"Oh yeah I had that thing shut off like as soon as we got here!" Delta said as he kicked a wire from his boot and examined his handy work. "You see the clock was just plugged in for effect, I don't think it actually had anything to do with the bomb! Also this thing was running via frequency. I mean that is smart'n all but easy to defuse. All you got to do is…."The painted dog stopped his explanation as he looked back at Nick and Judy.

"So this whole time?!" Nick shouted as he put a paw to his forehead.

"Okay, so you seem mad…but I would just like to point out it could be worse!" Delta said as he raised his gloved paws up in defense.

"How?!" Nick blurted out.

"Did you really just ask the guy who disarmed a bomb how things could be worse?!" Delta shot back as he pointed at the now disabled explosive device, "Plus I am the one who saved the day and you get a kiss? How about next time I make out with Judy and you fiddle with explosives!"

Nick was about to continue his argument but stopped when he felt Judy's paw gently pull on his sleeve. The angered fox's expression softened as he looked at his chained partner. Judy said no words, her eyes said it all, as she slowly pulled Nick back down and wrapped her arms around his neck once more.

"Oh just rub it in!" Delta teased from across the room as Judy pressed her lips against Nicks once more. There was a series of beeps from Delta's corner of the room as he turned his radio back on. Now that the threat of a bomb was gone the canine wasn't worried about transmitting. "Control this is 16!"

"Go ahead 16! What's the status?!" Came a frantic dispatcher over the radio.

"Device is stat 2. Request EOD to my location for secure!"

Judy ignored the rest of the official sounding conversation and let her ears fall to her back as she continued to share a kiss with her fox. She had dreamed about this moment for quiet sometime. Mind you it didn't involve a tactical mammal, or a bomb, maybe some chains though. Much to her happy surprise it was better than she could have ever imagined.

"What's the location?"

"Umm, sorry, need to relocate, bad reception! Let me call you back, give me like two mikes!" Delta muttered into his radio.

"Five!" Judy said as she parted from the kiss for just a moment before diving back in. Judy could feel Nick shake as the fox chuckled into the kiss. The laughter subsided quickly however as they continued their embrace.

"Make that five mike!" Delta said as he tried to hold in his laughter. Judy could hear the tactical officers footsteps grow fainter as the canine gave Judy and Nick some privacy. Not that Judy needed it anymore. Let the whole damn city see at this point.

Judy opened her eyes and pulled away once more as a thought crossed her mind. Her pensive look caught Nick's attention and he tilted his head curiously.

"So does this mean?" Judy began to ask.

"Yes." Nick answered before the question was finished

"So we are finally?"

"Yes"

"And all it took was this?"

"Yes"

Judy suddenly scowled and gave Nick a firm slug on the arm.

"Ow! Geeze Carrots!" Nick yelped.

"How come this is what it took?! I had to be freaking mammal napped and strapped next to a bomb by some lunatic!? What the hell Wilde? I not enough for you unless my life is on the line?" Judy asked as she began to poke her fox in the ribs.

"Ah! Geeze! Stop! Carrots!" Nick shouted as he tried to defend himself from the onslaught of jabs.

"This is for the night at the 10-7! This is for the hospital! This is for the other night at the 10-7! This is because I feel like it!" Judy began to list off the times she had been shot down as she continued to poke at Nick's ribs.

"Carrots! Ah geeze! Carrots!" Nick said as he finally grabbed one of Judy's wrists and gave it a squeeze. The gray bunny finally stopped her assault and looked up at Nick.

As the two stared into one another's eyes Nick slowly leaned down so he was level with Judy. "First off, I am sorry for making you wait," He said softly and then gave Judy a gentle kiss on the lips. Judy gave off a happy moan as a dumb smirk crossed her lips.

"Second, I am an idiot," He muttered in an even softer tone as he pressed his lips to Judy's once more, lingering a little longer than the first.

"Thirdly," Nick said in a whisper as he sat with his lips practically against Judy's. The bunny sat with her mouth open slightly as her eyes drooped shut, enjoying the affection in ways she didn't think possible, "You are really cute when you're angry!" With that Nick gave Judy a quick peck on the lips before jumping back a few feet as Judy began to curse Nick and his playful ways.

* * *

 **It finally happened! About freaking time right? 122k words is all it took to get Judy and Nick there! Woot! Is that a slow burn or what?**

 **Folks I am so happy to finally be at this point. When I first started writing this I wanted it to happen this way. I am sorry if this was cheesey or predicable or its been done before. But this is how it went in my mind so that's how it got typed out! I just didn't think it would take this long though! I am actually very proud of getting here. I have never written a fanfic before this one and never thought we would get to over 100k words! Let alone to where we are now!**

 **And guess what? This is like just the start of it all! So many ideas are popping up right now and I am just super excited to try a few things out.**

 **I feel like now is a good time to explain somethings.**

 **First off Jim: He is based off a series of villains that I thought of mixing together into one crazy rabbit. Some of you I know are like, "Boy Blue sure is a big Sherlock fan!" So? That was/is an awesome show! Second off wasn't Moriarty an awesome villain? Both in the books and show he was just like…wow..hard to describe. So short answer is Jim gets his roots from Moriarty but is gonna be going off some different ideas as well! I like some of your suggestions about the Joker too, guess he has some of those traits mixed in as well!**

 **Finally I would like to take a moment and give a shout out to Archangel12575 for his review about bartenders and folks being passed out. Here we have a passed out Judy and I am typing away hoping to sneak by till the next chapter and then "BAM no you don't! Not on my watch! No one is getting nabbed while I am around!" I had already written the get around for this in the next chapter (this one) when I saw his review and I thought to myself "This guy caught it in like 5 minutes! That's amazing!" He picked it up, I am sure a few of you did as well, but he spoke up about it. I have had to rescue a friend from such a situation like this before and to this day I never pay for drinks when she is in town. Glad to see there are lots of good folks out there looking out for one another! You go Arch!**

 **So can I take a little break now? I know Judy and Nick are finally together and I am sure we all want to see their first actual date night but I need to recharge the batteries! I hope to have something new for you all soon!**

 **Updated Notes:**

 **Character changes:**

 **Bek- Westpaw: The stern and secretive commander of the ZPD Tactical Units.**

 **Grant- Delta: African Painted Dog (also known as:** **African wild dog** **,** **African hunting dog** **,** **African painted dog** **,** **Cape hunting dog** **or** **painted wolf) Atom's partner and jack of all trades tactical officer.**

 **Sam- Atom: Same species as Delta. The shy but playful detector.**

 **Reasons: I am just tired of debating right now so I gave in to demands. No reviews wanted on this one ok? Thanks, lets just get to the next chapter.**

 **I knew that dogs were not originally in Zootopia. That was not an accident on my part. I wrote these characters as they had originally presented themselves in my mind. However due to some stuff we had to redo certain aspects.**

 **That being said I am sure some of you who took the time to reread the chapter noticed a few subtle differences. The characters themselves not only changed species and names but personalities. These are not the same canines we saw originally and are to be considered a different group.**


	33. Car rides and ice cream

Car rides and ice cream

It didn't take long for a small army of ZPD and emergency vehicles to swarm the old abandoned fair ground. Apparently right after Atom had sent a message to headquarters, the EOC reported a full stop in calls, the city growing quieter. There was a sudden odd but welcomed silence back at the precinct. Sure, there had actually been a few night howler attacks, but a vast majority of them turned out to be false calls. Now that the chaos had subsided, more resources could be allocated elsewhere. Just before everyone arrived, Delta and Atom had returned to Nick and Judy to help free the bunny. It took some coaxing on Nick's part but Judy finally released the fox from her grasp.

Five minutes still had not been enough for her apparently and she began to pout as Delta took a pair of large cutting tools to the bunny's restraints. "I mean if you want to be tied up when everyone else shows up I can leave you here," Delta suggested as he finally managed to cut the first bit of chain away from the cinder blocks in front of Judy's chair.

"Think you can save the rope? I have a certain fox that may need to be tied down later," Judy said with a suggestive wink in the fox's direction. Delta burst out laughing and had to take a moment before his hands were steady enough to continue his current task. The painted dog looked over at his partner who had a confused and concerned look on his face.

"I'll explain when you're older Atom," Delta teased as he shook his head in disbelief at the other canine. Atoms whole body began to shake with excitement and Judy couldn't help but smile over at the detector.

After the day that Judy had had she was no longer wanting to hide anything. Nick noticed that she was making jokes and taking certain liberties she wouldn't normally have made. Maybe it was the near death experience or maybe it was a recent change in their relationship, but the fox couldn't help but notice Judy seemed a great deal more confident and forward all of a sudden.

"Just a little bit more..." Delta grit teeth as his muscles flexed, the strain of a pair of chain cutters giving him hell as he tried to tear away at Judy's restraints.

"Thank you sir, can't wait to get out of this and stretch…and stuff..." Judy said as she looked over at Nick. The fox raised an eyebrow as he took in Judy's expression. Her bright violet eyes were full of lust and want as she bit her lower lip. As Nick began to put two and two together he gulped in surprise, wondering what kind of trouble he was about to find himself in.

"First off, its Delta, Sir is in another pack," Delta said as a loud snapping noise filled the room as the chains gave way to the pressure from the tools. "Second off, give Atom and I a head start will ya? Don't want him exposed to all that. His little head may explode," hinting to what had been happening between the fox and rabbit just minutes before.

The next half hour was a complete blur to Judy as she was rushed out of the Tunnel of Love ride. She shook her head with mild disgust as she eyed the abandoned attraction. She had been unconscious the whole time she was being moved so she had had no idea as to where she had been held captive.

As Judy and Nick walked out of the old ride, several mammals in ZPD jackets descended upon them, all of them demanding to know everything that Judy and Nick knew about the situation. It was all a little overwhelming as Judy tried her best to describe her assailant and what had happened to her over the past few hours. She didn't have to deal with these rather intrusive mammals for long however as Delta and Atom played defense and began to escort Judy and Nick away towards their tactical truck.

"Just got a call from Bogo, he wants you evaluated right away at Sahara Regional. Standard procedure." Delta explained, shoving one of the detectives aside.

At first Judy wanted to stay and assist in the investigation but she was suddenly feeling very drained. She had already given what information she could but knew there were still more questions to answer.  
It was Nick that gave her some words of wisdom in this regard, "Listen Carrots," The fox began as he took and knee and looked directly into Judy's beautiful eyes, "We need to get you checked out. Plus you have a few phone calls to make.

Judy's head tilted slightly and her ears drooped as she tried to comprehend Nick's words.

"Bogo went with the standard missing officer protocol right away, so for the past few hours your friends at the ZPD have known you were missing... along with your emergency contact," he muttered and raised his hand playfully, "But most importantly-"

"MY PARENTS!?" Judy said as her ears shot straight up.

The gray bunny instinctively reached for her phone but instead let out a curse. It had gone missing during the whole ordeal. That was just one more thing she would have to worry about later.

Nick pulled his cellphone out of his own pocket and held it out for Judy. "Let's go Carrots! You can call them on the way.

Judy took the phone and looked up at Nick, her eyes sparkling as she held back tears. The thought of everyone having to deal with this because of her wasn't exactly a great feeling.

A few minutes later Judy was nestled in the back seat of the tactical truck, leaning against Nick as she dialed her parent's number. A feeling of slight dread filled her as she prepared for the onslaught of emotions from her family.

As the tactical truck sped down the nearly deserted highway back into the beach locks district a few shops and roadside attractions began to appear. Being so far out on the edge of the city there wasn't much in the way of heavy traffic but as the team drive deeper into the edges of the metropolis a few vehicles began to join them on the road.

Judy was busy on the phone. Tears pouring down her cheeks as she continued to explain to her parents that she was alright. It took a great deal of convincing but finally the sobs over the line began to cease as Stu got a hold of himself. Bonnie as always was the strong voice of reason and was set on continuing to Zootopia. When Judy's parents had been called about her being missing they instantly leapt into action and had loaded a few supplies in their truck and then sped off to Zootopia, leaving the burrow in the hands of some of Judy's older siblings. By the time Judy had gotten a hold of them via phone they were just an hour out of the city and had no intention of turning around. Bonnie being firm in the fact that they would meet Judy and Nick at the hospital.

Judy did her best to convince them to not go through the trouble but it was a steady paw on her shoulder that convinced her to yield. As Judy looked up at Nick, she felt a smile cross her lips as he gave her a confident nod. She had been constantly telling her parents not to worry and just turn around, the fox though understood exactly what needed to be said and had finally convinced Judy to say the words as well. "I am being taken to Sahara Regional, yes the one from before. Just go to reception and I will have someone bring you to me.

Judy hung up with her parents and took a moment to gather her thoughts as a tear rolled down her cheeks. She felt absolutely terrible for having put them through this. The thought of getting the call that their daughter was missing and an investigation was underway to find her made Judy's stomach churn. She never wanted to put her parents through something like this and felt awful.

Before returning the phone to Nick her paw brushed against a button which opened a series of app previews. Showing Judy just exactly what the fox had been doing in certain apps. One such app was a recording and audio editing program. She had seen it used several times to create ringtones and edit audio files to make song remixes. Judy thought it was odd that Nick would have such an app. What was even odder was she noticed her name was on a file. The gray bunny chanced a look over at her fox and smirked as his attention was currently focused on Delta and Atom as the fox began to talk about the 10-7 bar.

Judy took her chance and opened the app. She pressed a paw to the audio file and placed the phone to her ear as she listened.

"Hey Nick! It's me! So I got off work a little early and I know you are still probably in class but I just wanted to say hi! Hope you are behaving! I need you on your A game if you are gonna make it to precinct 1! Anyways! Call me later!"

Judy instantly recognized her own voice and the memory of her making the call came back. The message was from when Nick was at the academy and she was waiting for him to graduate. Before anymore thoughts could fill her mind she heard her voice once more as another message began to play.

"NICK! Hurry up and graduate already! I am so bored here! Bogo has me working on a speed trap detail over in Tundra town. These mammals just don't know how to drive in cold conditions do them?! Anyways, was thinking about you and thought I would give you a call! Call me later!"

Message after message began to play as Judy realized the audio file contained a bunch of her voicemails to the fox while he was at the academy. He had kept them all!

"I messed up tonight! I had a little fight! Nick we should totally go see a gazelle show this weekend when you get out of class! I know you have a day off mister and I need you to show me more of this city! I got lost again! OK! I'll talk to ya later!"

Judy felt the tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Nick had saved these messages for so long. He could have deleted them, they were just little messages she had left him. She didn't think that these were big a deal when she made them. Apparently Nick thought differently.

"Hey there Officer Wilde." Judy felt her cheeks warm as she blushed. She remembered this messages it was so cheesy and she had been so embarrassed after making it. Her tone was different in this one. It was full of hesitation but also something else. It was a message from Nick's graduation day, she had called him after all the celebrations in a bit of a drunken stupor. "I just wanted you to know how so very proud of you I am! You proved yourself so long ago but you keep proving to me and everyone you meet just how amazing you are! You looked so handsome in your dress uniform today! You are gonna be fighting off the ladies with a stick" Judy closed her eyes and grinned as she willed her past drunken self to just shut up but sadly the message continued, "Myself included, because damn, nothing like a handsome fox in uniform!" Judy tried to remember just how drunk she had gotten that night. She just remembered going out with Nick and a few others to celebrate, the rest of the night was a blur. "I can't wait to start working with you again Nick! Love you!" with that the message ended. Judy remembered this message had started a new thing between her and Nick. The next day he had played it through his phones speaker for her to hear.

After that whenever Nick messed up or caused Judy to roll her eyes he would just look at her and smile while saying, "You know you love me."

Judy thought surely this would be the end of the messages but there was one more. This one seemed odd though since it was out of order from the others but she soon understood why it the final one. "Hey there sleepy fox! I remember you saying you were having trouble falling asleep. What with you being a nocturnal…what was it? Nocturnal love machine? Hahaha, anyways I kinda thought of something that could help, no laughing ok?" There was a pause in the message and then the sound of music began to play as Judy started to sing,  
 _"Stars shining bright above you, Night breezes seem to whisper I love you, Birds singing in the sycamore trees, Dream a little dream of me"  
_ As the song went on Judy closed her eyes and felt a new wave of embarrassment as she realized just how cheesy this all was! Why did she do this? Why had she left so many silly messages? Why did she sing to Nick? Wait….Why did he save them like this?

Judy closed the app on Nick's phone as she looked up at her fox who was still leaning forward and speaking to the painted dogs in the front seat. Without saying a word she slowly reached out, her gray paw grasping Nick's Pawaiian shirt as she pulled him towards her. The fox turned to look at Judy and a surprised smirk crossed his face as he allowed himself to be pulled in her direction.

At first Nick must have thought Judy wanted a hug or some kind of physical contact. The fox slowly slid over to Judy and wrapped his good arm around her and squeezed her close. Judy however had other plans. She slowly reached up and placed her paws on the fox's cheeks and pulled him down. As their lips met, Judy felt a shiver run through her but then something else. Something carnal was stirring down within her and for once she found herself in a position to answer them.

Judy's lips parted slightly as the kiss continued and she slowly slid her tongue against Nick's lips. The fox made a surprised noise but soon parted his muzzle slightly and allowed Judy entrance. Their tongues met for a moment and intertwined in a passionate wrestle.

The gray doe wanted more and didn't care who knew. She began to press against Nick's body causing the fox to lose his balance and fall on his back. The two were so lost in the moment that it took Delta a second set of shouts to get their attention.

Judy slowly parted from Nick for a moment but remained laying on the fox's chest as she looked up at the front seat. Atom was looking back at the two partners, his round ears raised as a curious expression crossed his light face.

"Atom! Eyes forward!" Delta barked. Atom followed the orders and quickly looked back at the streets outside.

"You two! Cut that out! We have orders to get you to the hospital! What you do when we get there is up to you. But I am not playing driver to a prom date love fest back there." Delta said sternly.

Judy felt her breathing was slightly labored as she had to catch her breath. She couldn't help herself anymore and she let out a low growl to get her point across. "Pull over!" She suddenly shouted as she felt her paws digging into Nick's chest. She didn't look at Nick but if she had she would have seen his bright emerald eyes go wide at Judy's sudden mood change.

"What?! No we have to get you to the hospital! Bogo's orders!" Delta shot back as he looked in the rear view mirror and adjusted it so he could look right at Judy. The gray bunny could see determination in the painted dog's eyes as he stared her down.

"Listen here you spotted bastard!" Judy began to growl as the night howler and her own urges began to take over, "You have no idea what I have been through tonight! Or for the past two weeks!" Judy said, as she glared at Nick, part of her frustration was thanks to him after all.

The fox let out a weak smile as he squirmed a little under Judy. The bunny then looked back at the mirror that now contained a set of shocked eyes.

"So either pull over or keep your eyes on the road! Either way though I am going to get-"

"What?!" Delta blurted out suddenly. It wasn't directed at Judy though. Atom had grabbed his partners arm and began to shake it excitedly as he pointed out the passenger window. "No Atom! We are not getting that!"

The lighter colored painted dog suddenly looked back at Delta and scowled.

"Don't you give me that look."

Atom remained silent and then looked out the window and then to his partner once more.

"No! We don't have time Atom! We have orders. We can get some later."

Judy slowly sat up while still remaining on top of Nick who slowly raised his head. It took a second to understand what Atom was looking at but soon Judy understood. Approaching the truck on the side of the road was a small building in the shape of an ice cream cone.

"Atom! You want some ice cream?!" Judy asked as her face broke out with a wide smile. Atom turned to look at the doe and nodded frantically as his mouth fell open and he began to pant with excitement.

"Don't you dare Hopps!" Delta shouted with annoyance but Judy also detected some amusement.

Judy quickly reached down and shoved her paw into Nick's pocket. The fox nearly jumped out of his seat as Judy began to fish around, in search of Nick's wallet. She grabbed something rather large and squeezed suddenly thinking she found her goal. Nick let out a surprised yelp which caused Judy to let go quickly as she realized it was something else. She gave Nick a surprised look and but then her eye lids drooped slightly as lust filled those bright purple orbs. "Wow Nick," she whispered as Nick gave Judy a nervous smile. She continued to rummage around for an extra second or two, her paw brushing against Nick a few more times as her curiosity got the better of her. She finally found Nick's wallet and extracted it from his pocket.

Nick didn't complain at all as Judy pulled some money from the fox's wallet and handed it to Atom whose eyes went wide with excitement as he waved the money towards Delta.

"First off you have your own money, dummy. Second we have orders. So there is no way we are going to stop. Nope! No way at all! We are going to…"

-A few minutes later in front of the ice cream shop-

"Welcome to Twisty Treat officers! What can I get for you?" The excited sheep behind the counter said with a smile.

"One mint shake and a large vanilla cone please…" Delta muttered in a defeated manner as his partner stood next to him and shook with pure excitement. "Oh, and two bottles of water!" The canine added as he looked back at his now shaking ZPD vehicle, knowing full well that the two mammals inside would probably need some hydration in a few minutes.

"Meanwhile back inside the tactical vehicle the atmosphere was pure passion. As soon as the painted dogs had left Nick and Judy alone the pent up bunny had attacked. Judy just let the urges that had been warring inside her pour out. She planted her lips back onto Nick's and pressed her tongue into the canine's mouth, causing Nick to let out a surprised moan. She could tell though that he was actually enjoying this as the fox ran his good paw down Judy's ears as he rested his arm cast on her back, practically pinning the small bunny to his chest.

Judy didn't know exactly what she wanted out of this. Part of her body begged that she seek full release while another side of her demanded it. 'Just fuck his brains out! He owes you that much!' The voice in Judy's head screamed. She agreed with her inner feelings, the dumb fox owed her big time for making her wait for so long. She just hoped he was ready because it would take a lot to stop her at this point.

Nick meanwhile had pulled away from Judy's kisses. She could feel her heart sink slightly thinking this was the end of their little make out session. Nick however must have been reading her mind as he suddenly pressed his lips to Judy's neck and began to swirl his tongue over her gray fur.

"Oh just like that Nick!" Judy groaned as she felt herself begin to grind against something that was growing in the Fox's pants.

Meanwhile at a pair of benches next to the giant ice cream cone, a rather excited painted dog was busy lapping up the bright white ice cream from his cone while his partner leaned against the building sipping at a milkshake. Though Delta would not admit it out loud he was actually fine with this situation. He got a free milkshake, his partner was happy which was very important to him, and he had a moment to just relax and think about the day's events.

Deltas ears twitched slightly as he detected Atom staring at him from the bench. The darker canine of the team looked down at his partner and tilted his head. "What's up bud?"

Atom said nothing as he looked back at the ZPD vehicle which tilted suddenly but then corrected itself. The painted dog let out a nervous wine and then looked back at his partner.

"Oh trust me, she is fine. I think its officer Wilde you should really be worrying about!" Delta chuckled as he took another sip from his cup.

Atom tilted his head slightly and made a few hand signals. Anyone passing by would have thought the signals were utter gibberish. Even mammals that used sign language would have a hard time understanding. Atom had developed his own series of signals through the years and it had taken Delta a while to learn them but to his merit he had stuck with it and could read Atom like a book.

Delta coughed suddenly as he translated the hand signals in his head. "What do you mean?"

Atom made a few more hand signals and then looked up with a curiosity he wanted answered.

A painted dog's fur was somewhat thicker than certain other mammals so it was hard to see if they ever blushed. Delta however gave off a different series of actions that anyone could tell meant he was both embarrassed and surprised. "What!? No! It's! Listen I am not having THAT talk with you!"

-Back inside the love machine-

"GODS DAMMIT NICK!" Judy groaned as she felt a pair of fangs dig into her skin lightly. She was more excited than anything and the sudden pressure actually felt amazing. She regretted her reaction though as the fox pulled away suddenly.

"Too much?" Nick asked as his nose twitched. Judy didn't have to answer as her arousal filled the small interior of the truck. Nick couldn't help but smile as she began to take in deep whiffs of Judy's scent. She was obviously enjoying this which made something very carnal inside the fox awaken.

"No I was just sup- oh yes!" Judy blurted out but was cut off as Nick suddenly attacked once more and caught Judy's gray neck in his mouth and began to run his teeth over her skin.

Judy was shaking at this point and she could feel one of her feet begin to think rapidly into Nick. She did her best to control herself but the emotions were just too strong.

At first she wanted to blame it on her own instincts. Or maybe the way she was raised. She then thought of blaming the night howler which the doctors said was going to linger in her and cause unknown reactions. 'Who the hell cares?!' Judy's inner voice cheered. It was right! It didn't matter what was causing this. What mattered was it was happening and it felt amazing.

-Meanwhile outside of the ZPD SUV-

"Okay let me put it another way…" Delta mumbled as he placed a paw to his forehead and looked at the ground as a confused looking atom waited for an explanation. "When two mammals really really really like each other they will start hugging-" The painted dog began to explain but stopped mid-sentence as Atom's eyes went wide with excitement and he quickly reached over and pulled his partner into a tight hug, "No you idiot not like…let go!"

The commotion outside was muffled and almost undetectable to the two mammals laying in the back seat. Judy was still on top of Nick as they continued their passionate session. Though she was the one towering over him she was so glad he was a predator and was taking control. If anything it gave her drive to keep pushing him.

Judy was now grinding harder and harder on what she knew was Nick's member. Waves of pleasure rolled through her body as she felt her arousal sky rocket. She wanted it all! Everything he could offer her! He owed her that much for putting her through all the craziness the past two week's right?

"Carrots!" Nick groaned into Judy's neck, his warm breath caused Judy to shiver.

"Yes?" Judy responded as she ran a paw over Nick's head and grabbed one of his ears and rubbed feverishly causing the fox to respond with a sigh.

"We gotta take it easy!" Nick muttered as he began to gently kiss at Judy's neck as his free paw ran down her black tipped ears. "We don't want to rush into anything right?"

"Don't you dare Wilde!" Judy gasped as she closed her eyes, the feeling on her ears intensified because of the chemicals flowing in her body. "You have no idea how hard this has been! Don't you dare ask me to-"

Suddenly the front door to the truck opened up. A wave of cool air filled the truck and Judy felt her fur stand up at the sudden temperature change.

"Alright you two lo- geeze! By the gods!" Delta blurted out as he got a whiff of the different scents mixing in the vehicle. "Atom stay back! Last thing I need is…oh great I think he passed out." The painted dog muttered from outside as his partner fell over as the wave of Judy's scent hit the poor detector like a tsunami.

Judy wanted to continue. She just didn't care anymore more. After all she had been through recently she just wanted Nick so badly and now that she had him she wanted to have all of him. Maybe it was a little greedy but hadn't she earned that much? Just an hour ago she thought she was going to be killed in a fiery blast only to be saved last minute by her handsome, smart, sweet, caring…. 'Just fuck him in the back seat!' Her inner voice demanded.

Sadly though this would not turn into a video mammals would see online as Delta would not have any more of it.

"You two had your fun. Now we need to get you all to the hospital. Wilde help me with Atom," Delta ordered as he held a now unconscious Atom in his arm.

At first Judy thought Atom had been joking around but soon realized the canine had actually passed out.

"What happened?!" Judy blurted out in concern As Nick and Delta loaded the canine into the passenger seat.

"He will be fine. This has happened before. Poor pupper has some weird condition. Part of having an extra good sniffer is sometimes experiencing some kind of scent overload. His body shuts down from time to time when he gets an extra strong whiff. And darling you are just…I mean wow Nick! You must be some kind of stud!" Delta said as he patted the fox on the back.

Minutes later the team was driving back down the road. Delta had rolled down all the windows and was blasting the air conditioning as he tried to vent the car of Judy and Nicks rather passionate odors.

"So don't get me wrong, but what was that about?" Nick said as he leaned down and looked at the doe who was leaning into the fox, refusing to let go of his hand.

"I have no idea," Judy said as she looked up with her bright violet eyes, "but I have a feeling I wasn't the only one enjoying it."

Nick smirked as he gave Judy's paw a squeeze, "I think we need to talk..."

Judy eyes suddenly filled with panic. Was he about to break up with her?! What the hell? After all of that? After what she had been through!?

"You know, set some kind of ground rules because I have a feeling if it hadn't been for our painted friends things would have well, escalated." Nick finished and Judy felt herself let out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I guess I kind of let my emotions take control," Judy said with a weak smile, "sorry?"

"Don't apologize! Don't get me wrong that was something else! And I would have loved to keep going, but I think we need to slow down a little." Nick explained kindly.

'Oh that's rich coming from him!' Judy's inner voice piped up.

"Okay, for now, we can go slowly," Judy said as she rested her head against Nick's side and closed her eyes with content. "Bunny slow!" she added quickly which caused Nick to laugh.

"So what started that anyways?" Nick asked as he gave Judy a gentle kiss on the top of her head just between her ears. She let out a pleased noise as a warmth filled her.

"Umm, I may have listened to something on your phone..." She said with a weak smile as she grabbed Nick's phone which she had thrown to one side of her seat when the passionate make out session had started.

"You what? Hope you had a warrant for that officer!" Nick teased, only slightly annoyed. A look of realization came across the fox's face moments later. "Wait, what was it you listened to?"

Judy showed Nick the screen with hesitation to show the audio file was still open. As the doe scanned her fox's face she prepared to be berated or a look of disappointment to cross his handsome face. Instead the fox looked away nervously and then took the phone before looking down at Judy.

"What is that anyways?" Judy asked hesitantly, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"That my dear Carrots is how I get to sleep at night," Nick said as he took a deep breath and decided to just come clean. "I listen to it…you know to help fall asleep."

Judy couldn't believe this. How in the world did she get Nick? How did she even deserve him? Why did he take so freaking long to take the plunge?! This was one of the sweetest things she had ever heard of and it was happening to her. She wanted to say something! Anything. But the only thing she could think of was to let Nick's paw go and run her paw up his arm and then over his chest. Without looking away from her fox she smirked as she gave an order to Delta, "Pull over again!"

"NO! Don't make me get a spray bottle!" Delta shouted from the front seat as he drove the scent filled truck deeper into the illuminated city.

* * *

 **Hey Everyone!**

 **Sorry for the delay in this chapter! My editor up and vanished again. However I am lucky to have an awesome fellow writer like _Fox in the hen house_ to help me out! He looked over the chapter and fixed the many mistakes! :P Thanks again bud!**

 **Plug in time!:**

 **If you all get a chance you should check out the following stories!**

 _ **Unexpected Desires**_ **by Harkonnen28. For those of you who have visited my story of _We Just call them Extras_ this story will make you feel right at home. It is super adult in all the fun ways and the author did an amazing job of creating something that will make you take a moment to catch your breath! Show them some love and maybe we will get another chapter soon!**

 _ **What is the beginning?**_ **by _Floreloyx._ This story takes us out of the Zootopia fandom. It is a more serious story that is beautifully written. Do any of you remember reading those short stories in school and was like "wow, this is amazing! Hope I can get to that level some day!" Thats what this story reminded me of. It raises the bar and draws you in! Though it is short I am hoping this sparks something in the writer and we get to see more amazing work soon!**

 _ **Zootopia: Firewatch**_ **by _Bluelighthouse (me)_. So is it shameful to plug your own story? Dont answer that! I started writing another story in what little spare time I have. It is based off the hit game Firewatch but gets a Zootopia twist...probably obvious from the title. It follows the game for a short while but soon goes on its own path. For those of you looking for a more fluffy story you may want to head over! Gonna get nice and warm soon! **

**Reviews are always appreciated!**

 **-Blue**


	34. Sweet Treatment

Sweet Treatment

'Another hospital. Really?' Judy's inner voice said in an annoyed manner. She was half tempted to answer her inner voice out loud but thought better of it. This particular visit actually wasn't so bad. She wasn't alone at least.

As Judy sat on the examination bed she smirked as she looked over at her partner who stood next to her, their paws intertwined in a way that was more than just friendly. Nick had a sly look on his handsome face as he looked down at his partner.

A lioness in a doctor's coat was sitting at a small counter in the corner of the room, having just finished a quick examination of the recently rescued officer. Judy was grateful to have Dr. Sweet as her doctor, especially since the lioness was alright with Nick remaining in the room.

"Well Officer Hopps, besides some bruising from your restraints I don't see any lasting damage or problems," Dr. Sweet said softly as she finished scribbling some notes down in Judy's file. The lioness removed a pair of reading glasses and rubbed her eyes slightly. "I did want to ask have there been any new feelings or side effects because of your Night howler exposure? I spoke to Dr. Bitter briefly about it, and we seem to be in uncharted waters here."

Nick made a chuckling noise which was quickly silenced by a fast poke in the ribs by Judy. The bunny looked at her doctor and shook her head as a weak smile crossed her face.

Dr. Sweet had noticed the action and looked over at Nick and then back at Judy, "Secrets from your friends and family is one thing, but to your doctor, not very smart. Out with it or I will call Deb! She is practicing for her practitioner certifications and needs to practice needle work!"

Judy went pale at the thought of becoming a bunny pin cushion, "Mood swings!" The doe burst out quickly as if she was just seconds away from getting stuck.

Dr. Sweet smiled, "Was that so hard? What kind of mood swings?"

"Mild aggression?" Judy stated but the way she said it sounded more like a question.

"Mild?" Dr. Sweet asked, not looking at Judy but instead over at Nick.

The fox's ears fell back as a panicked look crossed his face. He suddenly realized holding Judy's hand may not be the best thing for his health at that moment. "Well you see doc, Judy can be a little...umm..."

"I already heard about the growling in front of Dr. Bitter," Dr. Sweet said plainly. Nick had a look of relief on his face now that the cards were on the table.

Judy let out a sigh, feeling terrible that Nick was suddenly on the spot. She had to remind herself that the mammals in this room were only interested in her well being. She took in a deep breath and then proceeded to explain the different events that had transpired since the exposure. Anything out of the ordinary was explained in detail. Judy's aggression, the growling, the urges. The events at the 10-7 were very awkward but Dr. Sweet kept reminding Judy that this would help understand what was happening.

There were no judgmental looks from Dr. Sweet. When the events with Trisha came up Judy was nervous explaining what had transpired between the two does in front of Nick. She was worried he would grow angry or jealous. Instead Nick was very, well Nick like. He kept a cool look on his face and when Judy had finished he leaned close to Judy.

"So who is a better kisser?" Nick asked with a smirk, his playful nature calming Judy's nerves. She gave his paw a firm squeeze, giving him the answer he was looking for.

"Alright, and have these emotions grown stronger at all?" Dr. Sweet asked professionally. Trying to focus the pair back to the problem at hand.

Judy spent the next few minutes explain to her doctor how the emotions had taken control of her. Every time she felt one emotion pop up it had a chance of multiplying into something so strong that she would act rashly on it.

"Hmm, alright, well short of having you stay here to study your reactions for a few days there isn't much new information I can offer you. Dr. Bitter had your lab work sent over to Dr. Badger here. She is hopeful that the effects won't last forever but for now we have no idea where we stand on this, I am sorry officer Hopps, but this may be something you have to deal with for a while," Dr. Sweet explained as she leaned forward and gave Judy a sad smile.

Judy took in a deep breath and nodded. Somehow this was not very surprising news. Nick leaned in close to Judy, his paw still holding hers. "We'll get through this Carrots, okay?" The fox offered some support which caused Judy to actually feel a little better. With Nick at her side she felt that this was just another hurtle that the two would have to get over together.

"Well, unless you have any other questions I will go get your discharge papers going," Dr. Sweet said as she stood up and gathered her clipboard.

"Um, ma'am," Judy began which caused the lioness to pause and look at her patient, "When do you think I will have to return to work?"

This was a very common question to Dr. Sweet who had a neutral look about her. Nick however could have sworn his jaw nearly hit the floor. Judy Hopps would never ask the question like that. If anything she should be demanding to be put back on duty. This was so very unlike Judy and the fox began to wonder if she had been brainwashed by her captives.

"Well I don't see why you can't return right away to be honest," Dr. Sweet said softly but she gave Judy a pensive look when she noticed the bunny's ears begin to droop slightly. "However, I believe for the sake of your mental health I can say you need a few days off. How would that suit you?"

Judy suddenly perked up and a bright smile crossed her face. Dr. Sweet took the hint and nodded at her patient before leaving the room.

Judy turned to Nick with a wicked grin on her face. "As for you," Judy began as she slowly leaned towards her fox, her paw grabbing the collar of his pawaiian shirt and pulling him close. "Any ideas what we could do with all that free time?"

Nick chuckled, no longer trying to avoid this kind of relationship. The fox took a step closer and leaned down towards his gray bunny.

The universe unfortunately hadn't gotten the memo about interruptions and had decided to break the mood in the room. The door to the hospital room burst open suddenly as a brown bunny flew through the entryway.

"Judy?! Oh my gosh thank the gods you are okay!" Trisha said as she ran right up to the examination bed and leapt at Judy, wrapping her arms around the surprised officer's neck. Nick let go of Judy's paw as the gray doe was tackled to the bed.

"Petey said something about a scavenger hunt and then I get a call that your missing! The whole city has been falling apart! But you're okay! You are okay right?!" Trisha exclaimed quickly as she nuzzled into Judy.

"Trisha I am okay! But I can't breathe!" Judy groaned as she felt a few ribs strain at the pressure.

"Oh, sorry cutie!" Trisha said as she released the wounded officer who rubbed her sides. The brown bunny hopped off the examination table and looked over at Nick and then back at Judy, a knowing grin forming on her face.

"What?" Judy asked as her ears drooped nervously.

"I gots a new wallpaper!" Trisha said as she pulled out her phone.

"Ummm, okay, super random but okay" Judy said with a nervous smile. She didn't know how this pertained to anything but she was still somewhat curious.

Trisha handed Judy her cellphone which was in a bright purple case. Judy pawed at the blank screen which suddenly illuminated. Judy's eyes fell on a picture which made her blood pressure shoot up. She felt Nick slowly lean over her shoulder as he looked down at the phone, his own curiosity needing to be satisfied. Nick froze and began to shake his head as he placed a paw to his forehead.

"DELTA!" Judy nearly screamed as she jumped from the bed and darted out the room. She remembered that Delta was supposed to stand by while his partner was checked out in another room nearby. She was hoping he was still around so she could exact some kind of revenge. As the gray bunny entered the hallway she looked around and spotted the tactical officer nearby. She started to run in his direction but froze when she noticed an angry looking coyote in a black polo and tan tactical pants standing in front of the painted dog who stood at attention.

"That was dumb Delta! And you know it!" Commander Westpaw was shouting at the officer who did his best to hold his ground, which was difficult given just how intimidating his commander was. "You could have set the whole place off! You and Atom are no good to me dead! You are trained to find bombs not defuse them! How in the hell did you even know what to do?! You aren't certified for disposal! Plus you put your partner at risk! You are on clean up detail till I know what to do with you! Atom doesn't know any better and you led him right into danger! And another thing-"

"He saved my life!" Judy shouted suddenly as she stormed up. A look of anger filling her purple eyes.

Westpaw looked shocked as she slowly glanced down at the bunny. This was the fight of the ages lining up in the hallway. Westpaw was famous for being the type of mammal you avoided confrontation with. At the same time though Judy was…well she was Judy and only a handful of mammals were dumb enough to go toe to toe with the gray bunny.

"My apologies officer Hopps, but this is between me and my officer." Westpaw said sternly through gritted teeth.

"The officer who saved my life!" Judy shot back. She looked over at Delta who had a panicked look in his eyes. The canine quickly shook his head at Judy, begging her to just stand down. She ignored Delta though and continued her attack. "I was trapped in there and if Delta had not done what he did then I would be dead!" Judy said plainly.

"Me too!" Nick joined in as Judy felt her partner place a firm paw on her shoulder.

"And I would still be at work oblivious to all of this!" Trisha piped up in the same firm tone, not really helping the situation. Judy however noticed Delta smirk at the brown bunny, a slight wag in his tail gave away his happiness to see Trisha.

Westpaw looked at the three mammals and took in a deep breath. "It was stupid of me boss, I am sorry! I had to take the risk but I will also take the punishment!" Delta interjected as he looked straight ahead and stood at attention.

The coyote looked over at her officer and gave him a smirk, "You know the real reason I am mad right?" She said calmly as she reached over and gently adjusted a tool on the dogs vest. It was when the coyote began to chuckle that Judy felt everything was going to be alright.

"Yes ma'am, I know..." Delta muttered, Judy could detect a hint of embarrassment in the canine's voice. "You know why I couldn't leave though right?"

"Of course I do…it's why I hired you," Westpaw said as she looked over at Judy and then back at her officer, "You look after your pack, no matter what the cost."

The coyote took a moment to gather her thoughts and then looked at Delta, concern in her eyes, "I am going to go check up on Atom. We will talk more later about this, but just know you did exactly what I knew you would. As your supervisor I am supposed to be mad that you broke your S.O.G, but as your friend I am so very proud of you." With that Westpaw reached up and gave the painted dog a gentle pat on the cheek. She then looked over at Judy, "This conversation never happened. And if you give off any inkling that it did I will ensure Bogo has you on parking duty for a month!"

Judy snapped at attention and Nick followed suit. Both the partners could tell that this was a rare occasion and they shouldn't push their luck.

Westpaw smirked and suddenly tapped Delta on the stomach, "By the way, include any pictures you have from the site on your report. And I mean any." Delta smirked and gave his supervisor a quick nod before glancing back at Nick and Judy.

" _Yes_ _mom_ …" Delta muttered with a mock annoyance. This earned him a quick flick on the ear. "Ah geeze boss!"

"If I was your mother you would be getting far more than a lecture!" Westpaw muttered with a triumphant grin on her face. With that the coyote excused herself.

The group stood in silence for a moment until Trisha broke the tension. She ran over to Delta and used her strong legs to leap into his arms as she wrapped her own around his neck. "You didn't tell me you saved her! What the hell, Delta?! Thank you so much!" The brown bunny said as she nuzzled into the painted dogs neck.

Though Judy had just met Delta it didn't take a close friend of the painted dog to tell he was thoroughly enjoying this attention. His white tipped tail began to wag uncontrollably as he placed a gloved paw on Trisha's back, holding the bunny close as he closed his eyes and smiled.

"Awww, cute couple!" Nick said, breaking the momentary silence.

Delta's eyes shot open suddenly as he looked at the fox and then back to Trisha who let go of the canine and hopped down to the floor. She adjusted her shirt for a moment and then took in a deep breath. She slowly walked over to Judy and took her phone back from the gray bunny. Her face devoid of emotion as she unlocked her cell phone once more. She looked at the picture on her screen and then bounced right in front of Nick and shoved the screen into the fox's face.

"Look who's talking!" She teased as the image of Judy and Nick sharing their first kiss shown on the screen. Trisha had taken the time to set the image as her phones wallpaper.

Judy watched the scene unfold and was suddenly reminded as to why she had ran out into the hall. Her attention suddenly focused on the painted dog standing in front of her. The tactical operative was clad in dark blue BDU's, his tactical vest covered in tools. Black knee and elbow pads helped protect him during his work. The canine looked as if he could survive a storm of trouble. Judy however was a typhoon when she set her mind to something.

"So Delta," Judy said through gritted teeth, "Who else have you been texting?"

The painted dog's eyes went wide as he sized up Judy. He had been through countless fights and battles. If he was told to go through hell itself he would gear up and leap into the fiery depths. However at this moment it was obvious the canine was experiencing pure fear.

"Uh….Nick?" The canine muttered desperately as he took a step back. His eyes darting to the fox who just shrugged and lifted his arm still wrapped in a cast. He would obviously not be receiving help from Judy's partner on this one.

"Trisha?" Delta asked, his options running low. The brown bunny crossed her arms as she leaned against Nick. She bit her lip as she looked at the frightened mammal.

"Hey Judy!" Trisha said loudly and caught the gray doe's attention. Judy looked over at her friend with a determined look.

"Yeah Trish?" Judy asked, her expression softening as she glanced at her friend. As Judy took in the sight of Trisha casually leaning against Nick a sudden realization came over her. If it wasn't for Delta this whole situation would have been a great deal more awkward. Not just because he had stopped a bomb from wiping Nick and her from the planet. He had shared the picture to the one mammal Judy would be most hesitant sharing it with.

After all it was just last night that she had found herself in the 10-7 restroom, her arms wrapped around the beautiful brown bunny, sharing a rather intense kiss. Now however she found herself finally in a relationship with Nick. Judy felt a pang of sadness when she realized what this probably meant for her and Trisha. The brown bunny had finally gotten what she wanted only for Judy to finally get what she had wanted. Was it right of her to put Trisha through all of that? Only to replace her with the fox that had made Judy wait for so long.

She had gotten her answer though thanks to that stupid painted mutt. Trisha now knew about Nick and Judy. She was not sad or mad. She actually seemed excited and very happy at the whole situation. Why else would she have put that picture as her wallpaper? Plus the way the brown bunny embraced Judy in the examination room added with how she seemed so casual with Nick was a true merit to her character.

'Of course maybe she just wanted you for your body!' Judy's inner voice suggested.

Trisha was an odd ball, that was for sure. Judy however was grateful that she had someone like Trisha in her life.

"He's getting away," Trisha said playfully as she nodded back towards Delta.

'Dammit Trisha!'

Judy quickly looked back at the painted dog and grinned as she saw the canine fly down the hall, his ears down as he picked up speed.

"Run bud! She likes fast food!" Nick shouted down the hall. Seconds later Judy was a blur as she sped after her prey.

* * *

 **So we ended up in another hospital! Dang it! Oh well.**

 **Special thanks to _Fox in the hen house_ for looking over this chapter and correcting the many mistakes. :P**

 **A Valentine's day special has been posted in the Extras story. If you all get a chance you should check it out!**

 **Thanks again for all the support through these many chapters! Can't wait to see where we end up!**

 **-Blue**


	35. Early check out

Early check out

"Mr. And Mrs. Hopps please I understand you want to see your daughter but she is not in her room at this time! She is currently being processed for release so even if I did send you back there she wouldn't be in the room!" The receptionist, a large brown bear in a hospital staff uniform, informed them for what must have been the tenth time.

Stu and Bonnie had arrived in Zootopia roughly an hour ago but had had trouble navigating the metropolis. After several u turns and an eventual stop for directions, which annoy d Stu since he obviously knew where he was going, the pair of out of Towner's had finally reached the hospital. Even though Judy had called them on her way to the hospital and assured them she was alright her parents were still in a somewhat panicked state. The poor receptionist was trying in vain to calm the pair but it was obviously a losing battle.

Before either if the rabbits could say anything more however they detected a pair of large hooves stomping their way. The pair turned to see a large cape buffalo in a ZPD uniform approach the desk. He was followed by a slender looking cheetah who gave the couple a wide grin. This was meant to be a warm greeting but Tammy noticed some hesitation and reminded herself that Judy came from a community that was primarily prey species with only a handful of press, and not large ones at that. She did her best to continue to give off a friendly demeanor. Chief Bogo though continued to give off an essence of authority.

"Mr. and Mrs. Hopps?" Bogo asked as he looked down at the two nervous looking mammals.

"Yes!" Bonnie said defiantly as she took a step forward. Bogo realized where Judy had gotten her tough attitude from suddenly.

"I am Chief Bogo of the ZPD, I am Judy's supervisor, first off let me-"

"So you got Judy in this situation?" Stu blurted out as he took a step towards Bogo, the buffalo suddenly understood where Judy got her rash behavior from now.

"Sir! Please allow me to explain!" Bogo said as he raised his hands up in defense. Tammy meanwhile was beaming at the situation as she fumbled for her cellphone. She could already tell this was going to be good! Though Bogo gave off an authority's attitude to his officers and wouldn't hesitate to put them in their place, he was a completely different mammal when it came to dealing with civilians. He had always tried to be calm and kind, but the Hopps were obviously not having any of it till they saw their daughter.

"No let me explain something to you mister! We get a call from your base or headquarters or whatever saying our Judy is missing and they have no idea where she is!" Stu began to shout as he waved his arms about.

Tammy did her best to remain calm as a small snicker escaped her. She didn't raise her phone up but instead had it near her waist as she aimed it towards the scene unfolding in front of her. "Action!" the cheetah thought to herself.

There was a loud crash and everyone looked over to a set of large double doors that led deeper into the hospital. There was a loud curse followed by another crash. Bogo and Tammy quickly leapt into action and stepped forward, putting themselves between the possible threat and the Hopps.

Tammy put her phone away and placed a paw on her service weapon, unsure whether to draw or not. Bogo clenched his fists as he glared at the door, as if daring a problem to burst front it.

Seconds later the doors flew open and a painted dog came running through. His eyes wide with panic as he looked over his shoulder. When the dog looked ahead of him he stopped suddenly, his eyes meeting Bogo's. The canine froze and stood at attention and was about to give his superior a quick salute but was suddenly interrupted.

A ball of gray fur burst from the door and collided with the canine, causing him to fall forward. The dog instinctively threw his arms forward but still landed face first into the floor.

"You can run but you can't hide!" Judy growled playfully as she grabbed Delta by the back of his head and lifted him up so she can look into his eyes.

The scene was actually somewhat amusing. Delta could easily handle Judy and probably throw her around like a rag doll. Judy however looked like she could still handle her own.

The gray doe grinned evilly as she looked right into the dog's eyes as she planted her feet on his back. "Now, about those pictures," she growled playfully as she began to loop an arm around Delta's neck while she rubbed a fist into the fur on top of him head, giving him a noogey, completely oblivious to the audience around her.

"Judy!" Delta barked as he squirmed, trying to escape, to his surprise though Judy had some serious strength about her.

"That's Judy queen of the-"

"Hopps!" Bogo shouted, more to get her attention than anything. The buffalo actually had an amused smirk on his face as he eyed the scene.

"Judy!" Both of her parents suddenly flew around the Cape buffalo and towards their daughter. It was the sound of her parents that finally got Judy's attention, much to Delta's relief.

"Mom? Dad?!" Judy said, both excited and surprised to see them there. She was quickly scooped up into her parents loving arms as they began to look over their daughter.

"Oh dear we were so worried!" Bonnie said as she pulled Judy close and placed a paw on the back of Judy's head and brought her close.

"We are so glad you are ok!" Stu added as he gave his daughter a pat on the back.

Delta stood up from the floor and dusted himself off as he took a step towards Bogo and gave him a weak grin. The buffalo smirked and gave the painted dog a pat on the shoulder, "Thanks for finding her."

Delta just nodded as he looked from Bogo and then to Tammy who was beaming. She held up her phone and pointed to the screen which had the picture of Nick and Judy sharing a kiss. The cheetah pointed from the phone and then to the canine with a questioning look. Delta nodded and grinned evilly. He received a high five from the feline along with a pat on the back. Both the officers then began to snicker and make a few lewd comments, some of which were picked up by Bogo who cleared his throat loudly. This caught the attention of both groups of mammals who stared at the buffalo nervously.

Judy was still wrapped up in a hug from her father who was hesitant to let go, as if the action would invite another mammal napping. The gray doe looked at her father and gave him an encouraging smile. Stu took the hint and let his daughter go.

Judy took a few steps towards her superior, a look of sadness in her eyes as she stared up at Bogo.

"Sir, I am so sorry for all of this," Judy began as a tear welled up in her eyes. "I was careless..."

"No, you were ambushed," Bogo corrected her quickly, he wasn't about to let Judy think she was at fault for any of this. "There is only one mammal at fault here and when we find him I assure you I will make him pay for laying a hand on one of MY officers!"

Judy smiled at Bogo, feeling a swelling of pride filling her at the phrase 'My officers'. He really took pride in his team and would do his best to look after them.

"Oh speaking of which!" Bonnie said as she snapped her paw and began to rummage around in her bag. She then produced Judy's cellphone. The same cellphone which had been taken by Jim during Judy's imprisonment. "One of the officers outside asked me to hand this over to you, said he found it earlier. He was a very handsome buck too! Must be nice having another rabbit on the force now eh Judy? Hope Nick doesn't get-"

"What do you mean another rabbit officer?" Judy asked as she looked up at her mother. A look of confusion crossing her face.

"The other officer, he was in uniform and everything!" Bonnie began to explain, sounding as if it was Judy who was saying something that didn't make sense, "He was very nice, told us to return your phone when we saw you and hope you recover soon, apparently he is working with you on something."

"That's right!" Stu interjected, "Said something about how he has big plans for the future with you." Stu then thought of something and grinned, "Sounds like Nick has some comp-"

"What was his name? What did he say his name was?" Judy said nervously as she reached out and grabbed her father by the shoulders and looked at her parents nervously.

"Oh, it was something with an H I think, but I remember his last name," Bonnie began to say as she looked down at Judy's paws and then back at her daughters wide eyes, "It said Tops."

Judy looked back at Bogo who had a look of pure anger. The chief was smart and he managed to put two and two together. Judy was the only rabbit officer in the whole of the ZPD. There was no other.

"Chief?" Tammy asked nervously as she began to put the facts together, "It couldn't be…he wouldn't dare….right?"

"Hank Tops…" Judy let out in a whisper as she looked at Bogo as the buffalos hooves clenched. He then turned and pointed at Tammy and Delta.

"You two, check the entrance! NOW! FIND HIM!" Bogo shouted at the surprised officers.

Tammy and Delta didn't need a second order as they leapt into action. Both of them drew their service weapons and bolted for the large set of entrance doors on the other side of the entrance atrium. As the doors slid open Delta raised his weapon and checked for threats as Tammy dived and suddenly rolled out and aimed in one direction as Delta came up behind her and aimed in another.

"Was that roll necessary?" Delta muttered to the cheetah who smirked.

"You just jealous you don't have moves like mine," Tammy shot back.

Delta grinned as he scanned the perimeter. "Clear, you?"

"Clear!" Tammy declared. With that the two mammals moved as one out of Judy's view. There was a commotion outside and Judy noticed a few other officers began to move back and forth across the threshold to the building.

Judy looked over to Bogo who glared at the door, as if he was staring directly at Jim. She began to wonder if the chief even knew what Jim looked like or if he had been fully briefing on everything she had told the investigators after her rescue. She was about to ask when the doors to the hospital entrance slowly opened. Tammy and Delta returned with defeated looks about them. Delta was shaking his head as Tammy gave an update.

"No good chief, swept the entrance and the parking lot nearby. We have a team sweeping the perimeter of the building now but he is probably long gone by now..." Tammy pointed out angrily. The thought that the one responsible for mammal napping her friend had got away obviously ticked the predator off. "Sorry Judy..."

"What's all this about?" Bonnie asked as she put a paw on Judy's shoulder. Judy looked at her mother and saw the pure fear in her eyes. The whole scene must have been rather intense for a civilian to watch. Normally seeing an officer run with their weapon drawn would cause most mammals to panic, and for good reason.

Judy searched for the words to try and explain what had just transpired. How could she though? Stu and Bonnie had apparently just met one of the most dangerous mammals in the whole city and hadn't even realized it. If they knew would that really change anything? Judy tried to figure out what would be best but in the end it was Bogo who took control.

"The mammal you just met outside was not a member of the ZPD," The chief began to say calmly, putting on a neutral look as he explained the situation. The buffalo looked over at Judy, obviously tying to think what was the next best thing to say that wouldn't cause the two parents to panic. Judy just gave him an encouraging nod, signaling that the truth would be the best route. "We have reason to believe that he is the one responsible for a series of crimes here in Zootopia, most recently the abduction of your daughter..."

"He did it?!" Stu said angrily. His paws clenching into fists as fire filled his eyes. Judy had always known her father to be somewhat emotional and not afraid to show how he was feeling. Most of the time it involved him getting teary eyed while Bonnie would comfort him. This however was a completely different buck. His strong farming muscles flexed and Judy realized just how intimidating her father could be. "He had the audacity to come here?! To this hospital!? Where my daughter is!"

"He knows where you are dear!" Bonnie said in a panic as she quickly pulled Judy close and stared at the door as if the dark gray villain would suddenly burst through and try to grab Judy. "He knows where you are and who we are! Which means he must know where you live!"

"Mom it's ok! I will be alright!" Judy tried to calm her mother and looked at her father who was fuming, trying to figure out where to direct his anger. Judy began to wonder what would happen if Jim and her father ever met again. Now that Stu knew what the buck looked like and what he had done she had a feeling her father would do everything in his power to protect Judy. Even if it meant harming someone else.

"No! It won't! He mammal napped you! In the middle of the city in broad daylight!" Bonnie began to explain frantically, "I am sorry Judy but this place is obviously too dangerous! You have to come back to Bunny Burrow right away!"

There it was, the suggestion she had been fearing. Now that things were getting a little risky in the city she had a feeling her parents would try and use this card. The thought of leaving the city and all her friends behind was not an option for her though. Judy prepared herself for the fight she knew was about to go down.

"I am sorry, but no," It wasn't Judy that said the words. It was Bogo. The three bunnies looked up at the large mammal, all of them had an equal look of surprise on their faces. "We can't afford to lose Officer Hopps! Especially now! I know this is not what you want to hear but Judy needs to stay in the city, not just for the sake of her job but for the sake of the city itself."

Judy felt herself swell with pride. Her superior was fighting for her to stay. She didn't know which part of the statement was better. The fact he needed her help? Or him admitting he needed her help?

"Stay here? With animals going savage and some mad mammal trying to take her?" Style blurted out, waving his paws about frantically as he stared the buffalo down.

"2 hours right?" Delta asked as he took a step forward and stood at attention next to Bogo. All eyes were now on the painted dog who looked directly at Bonnie and Stu. His expression was one of confidence.

"What?" Bonnie asked, breaking the temporary silence caused by the original question.

"That's how far Bunny Burrow is from here via train, which is one of the fastest modes of getting here, right?" The painted dog asked calmly.

There was the sound of doors opening behind Judy and her parents. The three bunnies looked behind them in time to see Nick and Trisha come from deeper inside the hospital. Judy had almost forgotten she had left her partner and friend behind at the examination room which was deep inside the building.

Nick kept his standard casual smirk on his face as he examined the scene they had just walked in on. Judy however could tell the fox was somewhat surprised, even if no one else could. His left ear would twitch sometime when he was sizing up situations. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing to spot but Judy prided herself on being able to read her fox. She felt a smile cross her lips when she remembered that he was her fox now.

Trisha however tilted her head as she looked at the other mammals. Her ears flopping to one side. She of course knew Tammy and Delta but Judy had a feeling everyone else would need introductions shortly.

"To answer your question sir it is 2 hours farther away from danger for our daughter!" Stu pointed out, brining attention back to the original conversation.

"No disrespect Mr. Hopps but danger is everywhere, trust me, it's my job to know," Delta said firmly before clearing his throat. The painted dog then pointed to himself, "one minute"

"One minute?" Stu asked as his anger began to subside but was merely replaced by annoyance.

"One call to the ZPD and I will breach a door, smash a window, or plow through any obstacle without any regard for my own safety to get to her," Delta said firmly as he gave Judy a wink. She couldn't help but smile at the comment. Nick, Atom, and Delta had all proven that they would do whatever they could to help Judy. She took a moment to look over at Nick and let out a soft sigh, wishing she could embrace him at that moment. Her eyes then fell on Trisha who had a sweet little smirk on her face as her blue eyes stared at the painted dog. Judy made a mental note to talk to the brown doe about a certain tactical dog later. "Don't get me wrong sir, I am sure you would of course do whatever you could to protect Judy, but if something were to happen and you needed someone to mess stuff up who are you gonna want? Your local sheriff? Or-"

"Us?" Tammy finished Deltas sentence as she took a step forward and out a paw on the canines shoulder. Delta didn't look at the cheetah but kept his eyes on Stu.

Stu looked at the two large preds but held his ground. When it came to the safety of his daughter this particular buck would not be easily swayed.

"We are right here in Zootopia, just a minute away! If she were in Bunny Burrow and something were to happen you would need to hold off the threat for two hours! You think your sheriff can handle the storm that's coming? And I would like to point out we aint nothing compared to Nick and what he would do to get to Judy," Delta added as he nodded over to Nick.

Judy looked over at Nick who raised an eye brow at the comment from Delta. Both Bonnie and Stu seemed to relax when they looked over at the fox. Judy took notice of this right away and she felt her heart lift as she realized that though her parents may have some trouble trusting these other preds, they obviously trusted Nick.

"Bawwww, I like him!" Judy heard Trisha whisper to Nick, having a feeling the compliment was not meant for the fox but another canine.

"Mom, Dad..."Judy began, finally speaking up to this matter. "I am sorry that I put you through this, but it's just the life I have chosen and there is no going back," Judy took a moment to grasp both her parents paws in her own as she gave them a firm look. Her purple eyes full of softness but also determination. "I know you just want me to be safe and I will be, but only if I stay in Zootopia and help wrap up this case. These mammals are my friends and will do whatever it takes to protect me just like you would. I know you wants what is best for me and this is what is best, I have to do this!"

There was a silence in the group as the two Hopps parents looked at one another and then back to their daughter. Stu put a paw on his hip and shook his head. Judy felt a wave of dread fill her as she felt another debate coming her way. "Gosh Jude….when your mind is made up it is made up," Stu said as a warm smile crossed his face.

"We won't stop you Bun Bun, we are just scared is all," Bonnie explained, "I mean put yourself in our situation! But if you are determined to do this, then we support you, as we always have."

"Bun Bun?" Judy heard Tammy snicker. The gray doe looked over at the large cheetah and rolled her eyes. Both Tammy and Delta were shaking as they tried to hold in their laughter.

"Nick you are gonna have your paws full with this one," Stu said as he looked over at the fox. Nick took this as his cue to finally join the conversation.

The fox strolled over with a confident smile on his face.

"Stu, you have no idea," Nick said as he gave Judy a playful wink.

"Since you are staying in the city we will have to handle a few things logistically," Bogo began, bringing the conversation back to the tasks at hand.

"You of course understand I cannot allow you to return to your residence at this time. Also you will need to be watched by members of the ZPD for the time being, this is standard protocol," The buffalo continued.

"Well my shift is half way through at this point, might as well see it through till the end," Delta offered as he looked over at Bogo who gave him a thankful nod. "I will have to give my commander a call, and of course Atom is still waiting to be checked out, let me go take care of all that and I will be ready to go shortly"

With that Delta gave Bogo a quick salute and then a smile over to the Hopps group. As he strolled by Judy noticed a playful wink being shot over to Trisha by the canine. She was pleased to see a goofy grin form across the brown doe's face as she blushed. Delta marched through the large wooden double doors back into the hospital halls.

"Dear who is that?" Judy's mother asked in a light whisper as she looked over at Trisha.

"Oh that's right!" Judy said as she hopped over to the brown doe and grabbed her paw. Judy led Trisha over to her parents and Nick.

"This is Trisha! She is-" Judy began when suddenly a wave of thoughts filled her mind.

"Oh my gosh how do I introduce Trisha?! Hi mom and dad, this is the brown doe I made out with once? This is the lady who has been trying to date me but I just turned her down for Nick? This is Trisha, she is a great kisser and I love roughing her up?" Judy thought as more and more terrible intros filled her mind.

"A good friend!" Trisha said without missing a beat. Her beautiful smile aimed right at Judy's parents. Trisha gave Judy's paw a small squeeze as she looked at the gray doe.

"A very good friend! You could say they are almost as close as me and Carrots are," Nick teased from behind Judy's parents. Both the does looked directly at the fox, fire in the pair of vibrant eyes. Nick gave a weak smile and waved at them, thankful that Judy's parents were shielding him from the beating he had most likely just earned.

"How lovely! It is so nice to meet you dear!" Bonnie said as she extended a paw which Trisha happily took. "I am Bonnie and this is my husband Stu!"

"Pleasure to meet ya darling," Stu said as he gave Trisha a polite nod and a warm smile, "Glad to see Judy has made a bunny friend, no offense to everyone else but with the amount of preds around here we were starting to get worried Judy may start turning into one."

Trisha let out a laugh as she looked over at Judy. The brown doe bit her lower lip and gave Judy a rather suggestive look which the gray doe hoped her parents had missed.

"Hey now!" Tammy said as she stepped back into the conversation. She had a large smile on her face but couldn't help but pretend to be insulted, "We aren't all that bad, well I am not that bad, can't speak for Nick over there!"

Nick tilted his head so he could give the cheetah a sly smirk.

"Besides I think the Night howler hit Judy got during the shootout has turned her more pred than any of us," Tammy added.

Judy and Nick both looked at each other suddenly. Their eyes wide with both shock and panic.

"SHOOTOUT?!" Stu bellowed as he looked from Tammy to Judy. Bonnie put both paws to her mouth as she looked at her daughter.

"Oh thank the gods," Trisha shouted which caused the whole group to look over at the brown doe. Trisha's expression was one of relief. When she noticed everyone looking at her she just smirked, "I thought I was gonna be the one to say something stupid."

* * *

 **Sorry for the late posting of this chapter. Lots of stuff been going outside!**

 **This is kinda a quick running chapter but it is a good Segway I feel for what's to come!**

 **Thanks to _fox in the hen house_ for helping with certain parts of this chapter. Also turns out my weather control device works! Sent him a whole mess of snow to thank him for all his help, only problem is the knobs are all super sensitive...So yeah...Kinda turned into a blizzard..My bad dude! **

**Hope you are all enjoying the story!**

 **-Blue**


	36. Atom: Relationship Therapist

Atom: Relationship Therapist and Plushy fort builder.

Forty five minutes. That's how long it took to finally get out of that darn hospital. Judy had spent a majority of it arguing with her parents and mentally cursing Tammy for letting slip she had been in a shootout.

She hadn't told her parents about the event because it had only just happened. She had intended to wait till the case had been solved or some other later date to come up before telling them about the events at Melvin's shop. Thanks to Tammy however Judy no longer had to figure out how to tell her parents. They were now in the know. The only problem was they were now in the know.

An argument like none Judy had ever had ensued as she spent a good ten minutes trying to calm her parents down. For the first time since Judy had remembered her parents were actually mad at her. They were still glad she was okay. That much was certain as they constantly reminded her of that in-between fits of shouting and disappointed tones.

What had finally saved Judy was Delta wheeling Atom out of the double doors that led inside the hospital. The painted dog was OK, just a little loopy. All attention was suddenly on the detector who thoroughly enjoyed the affection he began to receive.

It got very awkward though when Bonnie asked how Atom had been wounded. A few quick glances between Judy, Nick, and the two painted dogs spelt it out for Tammy and Trisha. Fortunately Stu and Bonnie hadn't noticed the exchange and we're given an excuse of Atom over exerting himself. Judy found out later that Delta used that excuse to get out over certain situations.

Before the Hopps parents could turn their attention back to Judy and her shootout Bogo interrupted. While everyone had been focused on Atom a plan had been formed. Bogo informed Judy that she was to go into a form of temporary on duty protection. She could only return home to gather some of her clothing and the likes but she would be staying at a hotel for the next few days while things got worked out.

This only gave Stu and Bonnie a second wind when it came to their argument about Zootopia not being safe for Judy. The conversation would have to wait as Bogo put on an air of both authority and urgency. Under pressure Bogo proved to be an amazing leader. With the amount of problems stemming from Judy and her parents he thought it would be best to separate them. Before anyone could say otherwise it told Tammy to escort the Hopps to one of the local hotels in the city center. He had arranged for a room there for the bunny family. He then told Delta to escort Judy back to her apartment to retrieve the necessary supplies she may need.

While the Hopps were being shepherd away by a very tired looking cheetah Bogo took a second to lean over to Delta. "Treat it as a hot zone, we don't know if this mad mammal has tried to booby trap her apartment. Have your partner perform a sweep before going too far, he prefers explosives..."

Delta said nothing but gave the buffalo a determined look and a quick nod.

The group met in the parking lot of the hospital before heading out to their separate destinations. Judy gave both her parents a warm and tight hug. Telling them that they could discuss the events of the week later at the hotel. With that Bonnie and Stu loaded up in their light blue pickup truck. The logo to the Hopp's farm fading on the side of the doors. Tammy gave Judy a quick salute and then hoped into her own cruiser so she could give the parents a police escort.

Minutes later Judy found herself sitting in the backseat of the ZPD SUV. She leaned against Nick and would look up at her fox every once and a while. A look of longing in her eyes. She had yet to have a private moment with her partner since they had been rescued. It was constant attention from doctors, officers, her parents, and Trisha. She hoped that she would get a moment to just spend with her fox now that their feelings were out in the open.

When they finally arrived at Judy's apartment the gray doe tried to convince everyone to give her and Nick a second so they could go gather some things for her stay. Delta wouldn't hear it though. The canine reminded Judy they had orders to treat the area as dangerous. Nick however was able to convince Delta to stay with the truck while Atom came along to sweep the building.

Judy saw through Nick's plan but hoped no one else would. Once Atom was done sweeping maybe they could have a few minutes alone while "packing".

The only problem was that Delta ordered Atom to escort Judy back down after the sweep was complete and her bag was packed. Both Judy and Nick had defeated looks on their faces as they got out of the truck. Trisha offered to join the group and Judy happily agreed, deciding that if they weren't going to get any alone time at least Trisha could see the apartment.

Atom began to give off a series of deep sniffs as he thoroughly checked the seams to the door that led into Judy's apartment. The others watching him closely. Judy realized just then that if atom did detect something she wouldn't know exactly what to do. With Delta busy getting her parents to the hotel they had no real way of communicating with the mute mammal.

When they finally reached Judy's floor Atom began his job. The canines nose twitching as he breathed in the different scents that lingered in the hallways. His tail would flick slowly as he moved past all the different closed doors. Every footstep was calculated and cautious. As soon as he reached Judy's door he leaned close.

Atoms tail began to sway as he finished taking in the scents that were seeping from the door. The painted dog looked at Judy and gave her a smile as his paw formed a thumbs up. Judy hadn't noticed but she had been holding her breath the whole time. She let out a sigh of relief as she approached the door, wondering how atom and Delta did this on a daily basis.

"Thanks Atom!" Judy said happily as she smiled back at the painted dog.

"You just detect bombs right? Because I got this one neighbor I swear is a dealer and I have been meaning to bust him!" Trisha teased as she walked towards the now open door, reaching out and giving the canines arm a gentle squeeze. Atom nodded at the question and tilted his head in concern, missing the joke.

Nick followed the two does, giving Atom a grateful nod.

Once inside Judy worked quickly and headed to a small closet near her bed. She opened the door and grabbed a small duffel bag and began to gather a few shirts she would need for work and some for off duty. She remembered Bogo telling her that she would most likely be staying at the hotel for a bit. This wasn't exactly a vacation so she didn't focus on bringing many civilian clothes.

There was a sudden surprised gasp from behind her which nearly caused her to jump. Judy turned in time to see Atom charge at her bed. A second later the painted dog turned around, squeezing a giant stuffed carrot in his large arms. His eyes were closed as a broad smile crossed his lips. The canine began to nuzzle into the plush, his tail wagging happily.

"Oh my gosh I love this guy!" Trisha whispered to Judy as the two does watched the canine happily cuddle with some of Judy's stuffed animals.

Judy returned to the task at hand as she finished gathering her shirts. She then turned to head towards her dresser but stopped mid step when she noticed Nick trying on her meter maid hat. The fox was adjusting the hat on the top of his head and not paying attention to Judy. The gray doe nudged Trisha who turned to look at Nick. With lighting reflexes the brown bunny pulled out her cellphone and snapped a quick picture.

The fox looked at the two doe's, a stun expression on his face. "That's one for the bar I think!" Trisha teased as she looked at her phones screen. Judy came to Trisha's side to examine the picture, her cheek brushing against Trisha's.

Trisha grinned as she raised the phone up and turned the camera on so the screen was filled with the two cute bunny's faces. Without missing a beat Judy beamed at the camera as Trisha put on a happy smile of her own. There was a clicking noise as Trisha snapped a selfie. "That's one for my scrapbook!" Trisha said happily.

Judy took in a happy breath as she looked around the room. Atom was smiling as he sat in Judy's bed, surrounding himself with the many stuffed animals. Nick was putting Judy's hat on her desk as he tried to get a hold of Trisha's phone the brown doe meanwhile was giggling as she held the phone out of the Fox's reach. A few hours ago she was tied to a chair next to a pile of explosives. Now she was in her apartment surrounded by her friends. Life sure was weird in this city but she loved it.

"Nope! Gonna cost ya!" Trisha teased as Nick continued in vain to grab the bunny's cellphone.

"Just add it on my tab!" Nick said as he tried to lunge at the phone.

"Ahh!" Trisha squealed happily as she nearly lost her phone.

A pair of large paws however quickly pulled the phone out of Trisha's paws. Atom smirked as he looked at the phone, studying the screen before looking over at Nick. The painted dog gave the fox a wink and then proceeded to scroll through the different pictures on the brown doe's phone.

"Atom wait!" Trisha blurted out as she tried to grab her phone. Atom however was just tall enough to keep the device away from its owner, his digits sliding over the screen as he scanned the images the doe had taken.

Atoms paws froze as his eyes widened suddenly. A look of surprise on the canines face as he came across a picture. Suddenly the canine began to sway as his eye lids fluttered. He then fell back on the bed, pretending to faint.

"I warned you! Oh geeze!" Trisha said worriedly as she climbed up on the bed and scooped her phone from the defeated canine.

"What other pictures you have on there?" Nick asked curiously. Wondering what images could have warranted such a response from Atom.

"Private kinds!" Trisha said as she stuck out her tongue. Try as she might the doe failed to hide her embarrassment as the inside of her ears turned bright red signaling that she had begun to blush.

"Private….kinds?" Judy asked as she stopped stuffing her ZPD duffel bag with clothing. The gray doe couldn't help be a little curious. She looked over at Trisha and felt something inside her stir. She looked at the brown doe's slender figure and suddenly thoughts filled her mind. She had to admit Trisha was a very pretty specimen and though she had not wondered what the doe looked like underneath her outfit before, she was now.

Tisha smirked at Judy and nodded, "play your cards right and you may get a peak!" Trisha teased, obviously flirting with Judy.

"Standing right here!" Nick said as he waved his good arm in-between the two does.

"Shush! I'm trying to score here!" Trisha teased, sticking her tiny tongue out at Nick.

Nick stepped in between the does and gave Judy a gentle push towards the bathroom, "don't forget your tooth brush carrots!" He said with in a mildly annoyed tone.

Trisha's mouth fell open in surprise as she looked at the fox. Judy had a similarly shocked expression but listened to Nick and trotted over to her small bathroom.

"You know I am just teasing right?" Trisha whispered to Nick, but Judy's large ears managed to pick up the hushed conversation as she rummaged around her bathroom, gathering some supplies for an overnight stay.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Nick muttered.

"You know playing stupid doesn't fit you Nick, your smarter than that and I think you don't give me enough credit!" Trisha shot back.

"Can we just focus on the task at hand?" Nick said sternly, which was rather unlike him, especially when it came to talking to Trisha.

"I am focused, but not on the task, gotta say I hate seeing her leave but I love watching her walk aw-"

"That's enough!" Nick shot back as quietly as he could so Judy wouldn't hear.

"Knew it!" Trisha whispered sternly. "What is it? Don't you dare say nothing! You say nothing I will walk right into that bathroom and have my way with her!"

"I said that's enough!" Nick actually growled.

"Nick Wilde?! Did you just growl at me?" Trisha asked in a shocked manner. Judy winced as she continued to hear the conversation, wondering if the mammals had forgotten just how small her apartment really was.

"I'm…I'm sorry Trish. I don't know what that was about..."Nick muttered, sounding just as surprised as the brown doe he was speaking to.

"You bared your teeth at me!"

Judy's eyes went wide as she began to hurry in gathering her toiletries. She had to get back in there before something else happened.

"I'm sorry! I just, the thought of losing her."

Judy closed her medicine cabinet when she had finished in the bathroom. Hoping it would be enough of a signal for the two in the other room to understand she was coming back their way.

"Not over!" Trisha shot at Nick.

The mood in the room had changed drastically while Judy had been in the bathroom. When the gray doe emerged she noticed Nick was standing by the bathroom entrance, looking over at Trisha who was now sitting at Judy's desk, fiddling with her phone.

Atom meanwhile was busily putting all of Judy's plush animals around himself as he continued to lay on the bed. Judy bit her lower lip as she looked at Nick and then to Trisha. Apparently things weren't exactly going to transition as well as she had previously hoped. There was still some tension between the brown doe and the fox.

Atom let out a snort from the bed which got everyone's attention. The painted dog was gently tossing up a large carrot plushy as he continued to lay across the bed.

"Think I should bring that too Atom?" Judy asked, trying to bring some warmth back into the rather cold room.

Atom shot up in bed which caused the plushies laying all over the painted dog to fall onto the bed. He caught the carrot plushy mid drop and hugged it.

"You are one strange canine..." Trisha muttered as she walked over to atom. The canine tilted his head as he watched the brown doe approach. Trisha's expression changed however as a bright smile appeared on her face, "Which is why we love you!" She announced as she put her paws on the dogs cheeks and rubbed his face.

Atom snorted happily as Trisha began to giggle. Nick even let out a small chuckle as he watched the interaction between the pred and prey.

Judy let out a soft sigh, hoping it didn't betray the feelings inside her. She was suddenly nervous to find herself here. She was so happy that Nick had finally come round and taken the plunge to start something with her. The only problem it was right after getting so close with Trisha. Obviously there was some kind of animosity between them. Which didn't seem fair since it was Nick who had suggested on waiting in the first place. He had even mentioned she find happiness no matter what. Now that they were together was he jealous of Trisha? Or maybe threatened by the doe?

Nick looked over at Judy and gave her a half smile, something was obviously on his mind. "All set carrots?"

Judy nodded and looked over at Trisha and Atom who were currently sitting on the bed. Atom squeezing the carrot plushy as Trisha took a picture of the canine.

"Yeah, guess this is it..." She said as she looked around the small apartment. Sure it was cramped and had an odd smell about it. It was however the first place she had lived in when moving into the city. It may not be much but it had been home.

A few minutes later the group assembled downstairs at the front of the apartment building. The ZPD SUV idling at the edge of the sidewalk. Delta was leaning against the hood, focused on the conversation he was having on his phone. A look on concentration on his face as he listened to a voice on the other end of the call. His eyes went up to the group as they approached and he held up his finger, signaling he needed a minute. He reached down on his belt and hit a button which cashed a series of clicks to come from the doors of the truck, signaling it was unlocked.

Atom took Judy's duffle bag which was now stuffed with the clothing she may need over the next few days. Bogo had been very clear when explained what would be happening next to just take what she would need. They could always go back for more of Judy's personal effects later, for now it was about speed. Get in and get out.

The painted dog walked around to the back of the vehicle and lifted the back gate. He gently placed the duffle bag in the back storage area. Trisha followed atom to the back of the truck which Judy thought was a little odd.

Nick opened the back door and held it open for Judy, holding out his paw to help her in. A handsome smile on his face.

Judy beamed as she took his paw, "why thank you sir!" she said playfully. She hopped into the center row of seats and schooled to the center as Nick hopped in. The fox looked towards the rear of the truck for Trisha. She had ridden over in the center row with them on the way to the apartment so Nick assumed she would be doing the same. To both Judy and Nicks surprise the door on the other side of Judy opened up and Atom piled into the seat next to Judy, the canines regular smile on his face as he looked over at the couple.

Nick and Judy had a look of surprise on their faces at seeing the canine joining them. Judy was about to ask where Trisha was when the front passenger door opened up. Judy looked ahead and watched as Trisha hopped up into the front seat which was normally designed for Atom. There was a size difference to overcome but it wasn't that much of a differences the truck had been fitted especially for the two canines who normally used it. Most canines were rather large in size compared to bunnies. Nick being a fox fell into a smaller category. Delta and Atom being painted dogs weren't much bigger. Delta had just about a heads height on Nick.

Trisha had some trouble reaching up for the seatbelt but she finally managed. As she clicked the restraint into its clip she looked up. She and Judy's eyes met. Though Trisha had a bright smile for Judy her eyes betrayed her. The bright blues were glossy and shimmering, obviously close to tears.

Judy tilted her head in concern as she looked at Trisha. Just before the brown doe looked away Judy noticed Trisha chance a glance at Nick. It was only a quick one but Judy noticed, and so did Nick.

The tension in the truck was getting rather intense. Everyone remained quiet, except for Atom who took a second to lean up towards the front. His paw tapped at Trisha who turned to look at the canine. Atom nodded towards the front dash. Trisha looked over and then back to the canine. "Whaaaaat?" She asked in confusion. Atom just nodded again and Trisha looked back at the console in front of her. She slowly reached over to the radio dials but Atom stopped her by putting his paw on her shoulder. The brown doe looked back at the canine in mild annoyance. Atom nodded and then pointed slightly to the left of the radio. There was a panel of knobs and switch's that had been added to the truck. These were the law enforcement features of the vehicle. One would turn on the strobes, another switch would turn on the light bar. Trisha's paws paused on the panel and a wicked grin crossed her face as she looked at Atom while her paw pointed to a small switch marked "Siren".

Atom began to nod quickly with a wicked grin of his own as he looked ahead at Delta who was still on the phone.

Trisha adjusted herself so she was mopping right at Delta. Judy couldn't see the expression on her face but she had a feeling it was one of amusement. Normally she would have stopped Trisha. This was definitely going to be abuse of ZPD equipment. She did however want to see the painted dog up front jump.

Trisha flicked on the main siren which let out a deafening sound. All the mammals in the truck began to laugh as they watched Deltas reaction outside of the truck. The canine practically threw his phone in the air while his paws went to the service weapon on his side. He had a startled look on his face and his eyes were wide with panic as he looked around for a threat. His expression changed from one of surprise to annoyance.

Trisha meanwhile had the biggest grin Trisha had ever seen. The brown doe's ears were straight up and she waved quickly to the startled officer outside. Delta put the phone to his head once more, said a few quick words and then hung up. The painted dog then adjusted his belt and brushed off his tactical vest as he took several steps to the driver side of the truck. He flung the door open and climbed into the driver seat and then leaned over to stare Trisha down. The bunny however did not retreat. If anything she looked rather pleased with herself as she put her elbow on the arm rest and rested her chin in her paw.

"You're starting to push my buttons bunny!" Delta let out a playful growl.

"Really? Because I was just trying to turn your switch on!" Trisha flirted as she reached over to the console. Without breaking eye contact with Delta she flipped another switch which turned on a series of white strobes.

"Stop that!" Delta laughed as he flipped the switch off.

"Stop what?" Trisha asked as she flipped another switch which turned on the red and blue light bars.

"Ah women!" Delta blurted out as he scrambled to stop the bunny from causing more chaos on his control panel.

Judy began to giggle as she watched the interaction play out. Trisha turned her head slightly and gave Judy a wink as she stuck her tongue out. Her eyes went up to Nick and her lids drooped slightly, she then looked away from the fox and back to the canine she intended to torture some more.

Judy noticed the look Nick had gotten and looked up at her partner. Nick was resting right against her and had an amused look on his face. Maybe he hadn't noticed Trisha's expression or had just chosen to ignore it. Judy reached over and scooped Nick's large paw in her own small ones and squeezed. Nick looked down at Judy, his emerald eyes had a sort of questioning appearance about them.

Judy nodded over at Trisha, without breaking eye contact with him. Nick let out a sigh and leaned closer to his partner. "I'll explain later..." He mumbled softly as he gave Judy a gentle peck at the base of her ear. The sensation was amazing. He had never kissed her there. Sure in the past he had given her a small peck on the cheek or even a kiss between the ears. The base though was one of those spots she had wanted attention for so long. Now that she had gotten it she felt like all the other problems could wait.

Judy let out a soft pleasure filled sigh as she leaned up slightly. Her ears twitching slightly. Nick chuckled softly as he took a chance and gave her another kiss in the same spot. His lips lingering for a second longer.

Nick pulled away suddenly when he heard Atom start to wheeze. Both Judy and Nick looked over at the painted dog sitting next to them in concern. The dog was leaning against the door as he pressed the window controls. His paws flapping in Judy's direction.

Judy turned beat red as she realized what was happening. Atoms amazing sniffer had picked up something stirring in Judy she had hoped she could hide. Nick's sudden attention had gotten her a little excited and apparently Atom could smell it.

"What are you two doing back there?!" Delta shouted as he angled his rearview mirror down so he could look at the couple in the back seat.

"Nothing!" Judy and Nick shouted simultaneously which gave them away.

Trisha turned around so she could look at Atom. She began to giggle as she looked over at Judy, her smile breaking out into a wide grin.

"Awww, you two are so cute it's gross!" Trisha teased as she stuck out her tongue at Judy who felt her cheeks warm.

Atom made a gagging noise from outside the window he was now hanging out of. Judy couldn't help but feel bad as she looked over at the canine.

"Oh you drama queen!" Delta shouted at his partner whose tail began to wag, giving away his actual status.

Judy then realized she had been played by Atom.

"Get your darn head back in here! You're making a scene!" Delta shouted as he reached into the back seat and grabbed Atoms duty belt and began to pull. Atom struggled slightly as he pretended to escape the back seat. "Judy grab his tail will ya!"

At this suggestion Atom quickly clambered back into his seat and sat down, looking over at Judy and shaking a finger in her direction. He then began to make a series of hand signals which caused Delta to look over at Trisha and then to Nick. A look of slight anger on his face.

Everyone in the truck looked over at delta as they waited for a translation. The dog took a moment before explaining what Atom had said.

"He says he doesn't want to make Nick jealous and get attacked like Trisha did."

"Hey! So where are we staying tonight?" Trisha asked in a failed attempt to change the subject.

"I growled at Trisha when she was flirting with Judy in the apartment," Nick came out and explained in a monotone voice. Almost everyone was now looking at the fox.

Judy was looking up at Nick in concern. Delta was giving the fox a scowl. Atom was nervously eyeing the smaller canine. Trisha however was looking straight ahead at the streets outside of the truck.

"I think we are double parked!" Trisha mumbled as she continued her campaign to get to another topic.

Nick let out a sigh and unblocked his seat belt. He then opened the door at his side before looking at Trisha.

"Trish..."Nick said in a kind tone.

Trisha did not respond as she looked straight ahead.

"Trisha," Nick said again, refusing to look away from the brown doe.

Trisha tilted her head to the side. Judy managed to see one side of Trisha's face and noticed her eyes were watering.

Nick nodded out onto the side walk and then hopped from the truck. Before closing the door he gave Judy a warm smile and a quick wink.

"Keep the meter running there Delta," Nick said quickly before closing the door.

Judy looked to the front of the truck just in time to see Trisha open the passenger door and hop out. She said nothing as she closed the door.

Atom began to reach for his own door handle but Delta stopped him by locking the doors.

"This may be something between them there bud!" Delta muttered as he casually pulled out his cellphone. He then looked back at Judy. "So tell me Hopps, cellphone, any idea what you want to do?" He was referring to the fact that Judy's cellphone had been taken in as evidence since it had been handled by a suspect. Judy had felt a bit odd knowing she didn't have access to her phone. All of her videos, pictures, music were now gone.

"No idea, guess it is time for an upgrade," Judy muttered as she looked out the window in time to see Nick walk towards the back of the truck. Apparently this talk was meant to be private and out of view, even of Judy which caused her to feel a little concerned.

"Well I am sure that fox of yours can help ya out," Delta muttered as he flipped through his phone, "You know you got yourself a good partner there. You should have seen him tonight."

Judy's ears perked up slightly as she looked over at Delta. Her attention now focused on him. She hadn't really heard too much about the events on Nick's end that night.

"Yeah about that," Judy began as she scooted to the edge of her seat. Delta looked up from his phone and slowly turned in his seat so he could look at her properly.

Meanwhile outside of the truck a completely different but just as important conversation was about to take place. Nick finally came around to the rear of the truck to find Trisha waiting. She wasn't looking at him, instead her eyes were staring down the street as she refused to look directly at the fox.

Nick took in a deep breath and then stepped in front of Trisha and took a knee so he was eye level with her. Trisha moved her head slightly so she didn't have to look Nick in the eyes.

"I'm sorry," Nick said simply. Instead of just beating around the topic he decided it would be best for both of them to just hit the problem head on. For Judy.

Trisha's ears twitched slightly. Though her head was still aimed in another direction Nick noticed her bright blue eyes were now focused on him.

"I had no right to be angry with you," Nick began, "And I am not just referring about what just happened in the apartment."

Though Nick normally exuded confidence his tone was different in this conversation. There was a hint of regret mixed with hesitation. Trisha took notice of this.

"I shouldn't have done what I did..." Trisha mumbled softly, feeling she was not exactly complete devoid of guilt.

Nick wouldn't have any of it though. He quickly shook his head and placed a paw on Trisha's shoulder. The brown doe moved her head so she was looking directly at the fox, her eyes shimmering in the low light of the street lamps.

"No, never think that," Nick said firmly. "I was the one being stupid, I was so terrified to mess things up with Judy that I felt the best thing to do was not even take a chance. Turns out I was wrong.."

"The famous Nick Wilde admitting he is wrong…well that's a first," Trisha teased as she tilted her head, causing her cheek to brush the fox's paw.

"You would be surprised, I think Carrots is keeping track!" Nick said playfully.

This earned him a sweet giggle from Trisha. "Still Nick, I should have kept my distance…it's just the way you talked about her. I had seen her on TV, read about her, and even listened to some of those radio interviews after your big case. She is just so…so..."

"Yeah, she is," Nick muttered as his eyes looked up to the back of the truck, as if he could see through it to his gray bunny.

"When you finally brought her to the bar I couldn't help it!" Trisha began to admit, "I mean at first it was just you know..."

"You being the playful doe that we all love," Nick stated, it was actually a rather sweet compliment which earned the fox a smile.

"Then when I found out you know two weren't dating I just thought. Well I am not sure what I thought but it was gonna be super fun!"

"Yeah, I guess I left the door open for you on that one," Nick admitted.

"Then when she told me you were making her wait! Dude what the hell! You know bunnies don't work like that!" Trisha pointed out as she poked Nick in the arm. "We can fall quick and hard but you will never find a mammal more caring!"

"I know I know, I guess it was just the fox in me! Geeze not there! That's where Judy normally pokes, its already bruised!" The fox said as he rubbed his arm.

The two shared a friendly laugh but soon a silence fell between them.

"Listen Nick. I am sorry okay? Just know that I really like her but I really care for both of you! I am not gonna lie to you, I had so much fun with her when we well…you know. But I promise that I wont get between you two!"

"I know. What happened between you two has happened. I am okay with it, I guess I just needed to hear myself say it though."

"You know I am still gonna flirt like crazy right?" Trisha said playfully.

"Oh I was hoping you would, some of my best pick up lines have come from listening to you!" Nick teased.

"So what took you so long? I mean you keep saying you didn't want to risk ruining what you two had. I have known you for a while, that doesn't sound like the Nick I know. You used to take risks daily, it was kinda cute," Trisha pointed out as she reached up and adjusted the collar of his pawaiian shirt.

"Well things kinda changed when this bunny in a meter maid uniform stumbled into my life," Nick chuckled.

"Oh gosh, don't pull that with me!" Trisha said as she put her paws on her hips.

"What? Can't I have a simple reason like that?"

"Nope, there is more to this!" Trisha said quickly.

"Nick!"

"Trisha!" the fox shot back. The brown doe knew it was pointless. Whatever the true reason for him waiting was going to remain locked deep inside. She couldn't blame him, if only he knew her secrets. The doe suddenly got nervous as her mind wandered to her own secrets. She wondered what would happen if Nick knew about-

"So what exactly happened between you two in the restroom anyways?" Nick said, bringing Trisha back to the conversation at hand.

"Nope!" Trisha shot back as she turned to return to the front of the truck. She tried to walk away but Nick put his good arm in Trisha's way.

She looked over at the fox with a smirk as she stopped in her tracks.

"Seriously though Trisha, "Nick began, his tone softening once more, "I am sorry for earlier, I know you and I know that I shouldn't worry."

Trisha closed her eyes and grinned as she began to nod.

"If you do try anything though with her-" Nick began.

Trisha rolled her eyes as she prepared to say Nick didn't have anything to worry about.

"- I get to film it!" The fox finished.

Trisha burst out laughing as she proceeded to slap the fox's arm. The two friends began to laugh for a moment. Trisha finally managed to catch her breath as she wiped a tear of joy from her eye. She looked at the fox for a moment and then stepped towards him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled her head into his chest. Giving the fox a warm hug. She closed her eyes and felt a warmth fill her as the fox wrapped his good arm around her.

'If he ever finds out…' Trisha's inner voice muttered sadly. "Shut up..." She thought to herself.

Trisha took a step away from Nick and gave him a happy smile. Her eyes though must have shown something because the fox looked at her curiously. Fortunately the fox was interrupted when the siren to the truck went off. This caused both the fox and brown bunny to jump up. Trisha grasped her chest as she felt her heart race. There was sudden a muffled laughter coming from inside the tactical truck.

Nick and Trisha both peaked around the corner of the driver's side. Delta was leaning out of the driver's window with an evil grin on his face. Judy popped her head out the middle window and soon Atom joined her. All of them had guilty smirks on their faces.

"So it's okay when you do it!?" Trisha asked as she walked towards the front of the truck. Nick shook his head as he trotted over to Judy who gave him a happy smile.

"Well you seem to like surprising me, only fair to return the favor!" Delta said smugly.

"Oh you like surprises huh?" Trisha asked as she jumped up and grabbed Delta's shirt collar and used it to support herself as her feet landed on the door of the truck. "Surprise!" She said quickly. Before Delta could even react Trisha pressed her lips against his and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. The kiss only lasted for a second before Trisha pulled away just an inch to admire her handy work.

Judy, Nick, and Atom's jaws all dropped open at the sudden action from Trisha.

"How was that for a surprise?" Trisha whispered as she began to lower herself back to the pavement. Just before she was out of reach though she gave the canine a sweet peck on the nose. She let go completely and landed triumphantly before strolling around the front of the truck as if nothing had happened.

Delta meanwhile was leaning out the window. A shock but overall pleased look on his face. He slowly looked over at his fellow officers before finally speaking, "I like her kind of surprises! Much better than yours Nick! Hers doesn't involve bombs!"

"The night is still young!" Trisha teased as she got into the passenger seat.

* * *

 **Hope this helps settle any concern about Trisha and Judy! :P**

 **A few quick announcements:**

 **First a big congrats to Zootopia and all who worked on it. You really earned that Oscar! I had no doubts in my mind when they announced it was going!**

 **So on to a less fun announcement. I may not be posting for a little while. I am going to be on medical leave for a bit. Its nothing big or life threatening so no one start panicking and junk! I plan on being back as soon as possible. Just might be a bit before I post anything.**

 **Who knows though, I may find myself with so much down time I end up flooding the story with silly chapters! :P**


	37. Tammy Talk

Tammy Talk

Naomi checked the reservation list for what felt like the 10th time that night. The pretty snow leopard in a white dress blouse let out a soft sigh as she scanned the names and then closed the screen.

"Right…so that's done…again..." Naomi grumbled to herself as she scanned the empty lobby of the swaying grass hotel. The lobby had a bright feel to it, even at night. The white walls and dark green furniture made everything look modern and clean. It was late in the evening so the predator was the only one in the vast lobby.

Naomi took a moment to scan the counter to make sure everything was in order for the day shift that would be arriving in a few hours. Once again she was annoyed with the fact she had gotten everything done.

"Gods why did I take the grave shift manager spot…" The leopard burst out angrily as she pounded her head lightly on the glass counter. She looked up and noticed her fur had smudged the glass. "Well at least I have something to do now…"

Nothing ever happened here late at night. Sure the occasional business mammal would arrive after a late night flight or a group of party mammals would stumble into the building after a night of nocturnal hijinks. Short of that though Naomi would be lucky to see another mammal till the day shift team came and saw her off. The only reason she had taken the boring post was it was the only way to promote herself into the company. At least that's what she had been told. She couldn't help but notice that a certain lioness had no problem getting promoted to the evening manager after being there for only a few months.

"Maybe I need a shorter skirt…or tighter shirt..." Naomi grumbled as she sprayed the smudged glass and proceeded to complete the only task she thought she would have the whole night.

"I don't know, I think you look pretty good from here," Came a playful female voice.

Naomi nearly jumped as she turned around to see who had spoken.

"Sorry! Couldn't help it!" A lovely looking cheetah in a ZPD uniform blurted out as she held up her large paws in defense.

Naomi put a hand to her chest, "Geeze! You are sneaky!"

"Yeah…well I can like that when I am hunting!" The ZPD officer said confidently.

Naomi burst out laughing, "Oh really? And what exactly are you hunting hmm?"

The officer merely smirked and gave the snow leopard a wink which caused Naomi's cheeks to warm, "Oh my gods! Don't push it girl! Your teasing is either gonna get you arrested or handcuffed to a bed!" The leopard thought to herself as she returned to the other side of the counter.

"So what can I do for you this evening officer?" Naomi said, returning to her duties.

"Tammy," The officer said kindly as she leaned against the counter casually, "I need a room for 4 please."

Naomi gave Tammy a kind smile and proceeded to type away at her computer. Tammy grinned as she eyed the snow leopard in front of her. For some reason recently Tammy had been in a rather aggressive mood when it came to other feline predators. She hadn't had nearly as much luck as a certain bunny when it came to finding mammals to have fun with though.

"What species?" Naomi asked as she continued to type away at her keyboard.

"3 bunny and 1 fox" Tammy said with a toothy grin.

Naomi looked up at Tammy and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah sorry, guess you won't get to deal with me the whole night" Tammy said playfully. Tammy then thought for a second and then realized how odd her reservation had just sounded. "Long story, two of them are officers for the ZPD though! So nothing to worry about!"

"Alright, one moment," Naomi proceeded to type away at the reservation screen.

There was the sound of small paw steps coming from the entrance of the lobby. Tammy and Naomi looked up in time to see Stu and Bonnie walk into the lavish lobby. The two farming mammals looked rather out of place in the hotel. This was amplified by their stunned looks as their wide eyes took in the beautiful design of the lobby.

"Here are two of our guests right now," Tammy said happily as she waved the two Hopps parents over, "Find a parking spot Mr. Hopps?"

"Yes Officer Thompson," Stu said formally as he removed his hat. Tammy couldn't help but let out an internal squeak as she watched the old fashioned gesture of removing a hat indoors.

"Sir please! It's Tammy!" The cheetah said kindly.

"Tammy! Its Bonnie and Stu," Bonnie reminded the cheetah of her own slip up. Tammy rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Yes ma'am- sorry yes Bonnie!"

The doe smiled warmly as she and her husband finally reached the front desk which was easily two heads above them.

"For our records I need a name on the reservation" Naomi said as she looked at Tammy and then to the bunnies.

"Hopps," Stu said firmly.

Tammy held up a paw and shook her head, "Sorry Stu, can't put that name down right now, gotta keep a low profile."

Stu was tempted to protest but in the end understood what Tammy was talking about. It caused a flicker of anger inside him though towards the mammals that had kidnapped his daughter.

"I'll put down Smith, it's just for our records," Naomi said quickly as she typed in the false name.

"Thank you Naomi," Tammy said as her eyes went to the leopard's chest and read the nametag for the first time. Obviously not having paid attention to that part of the chest yet.

"No problem Tammy," The predator said sweetly with a wink, "Is there any other special needs at all? I can put them on a floor with fewer guests if that would help the ZPD?"

"It would thank you!" Tammy said, not having thought of the request. The cheetah began to think of other ideas that may help, "Also closest to an elevator or stairwell, preferably no dead ends!"

"I have one that would be perfect actually!" Naomi announced triumphantly, "It's one of our suites! 2 bed rooms, 2 full beds and a queen, also has a nice kitchen and dining area. Bit pricey but I can see what I can do about that. How many nights?"

"Don't worry about the price!" Tammy said happily as she pulled out a bright blue card with the image of a shield on it, "ZPD is covering the bill. As for time frame I am not so sure. Can you put us down for maybe 3?"

"Company card, fancy," Naomi teased as she took the card and began to type the information. "I will be happy to put you down for three, I will also block out the room for a few additional nights in case you need to extend the stay."

"Thank you so much," Tammy said grateful. She then looked over to the Hopps family and gave them a smile. Both the bunnies looked very appreciative for the gesture of the free room.

Tammy gave them a kind nod. She hadn't really had a chance to talk to Judy's parents that much. After the hospital they had headed straight over to the hotel and now was the first time she had a chance to talk to them.

While Naomi continued to set up the reservation Tammy took a moment to speak with the bunnies, "I am sorry for earlier by the way, it was not my place to let slip about what Judy has gone through..."

Both the Hopp's gave the cheetah a surprised look. "Oh dear you have nothing to worry about!" Bonnie said in a motherly fashion.

"Yes! Judy should have told us the day it happened! What was she thinking keeping that kind of stuff from us?" Stu said sternly, the tone directed to the absent Judy and not Tammy.

Before the cheetah could speak Naomi gave Tammy a gentle tap on the arm. As the officer looked over she saw her company card on the counter along with 6 room keys. A small piece of paper and a pen sat on a tray.

"Everything is set up, if you need more room keys I can get them made for you," Naomi announced as she tapped a claw paw on the paper, "If there is anything else don't hesitate to ask!"

"Thanks Naomi you have been amazing!" Tammy said as she quickly signed the receipt. She spied the price and her eyes bulged, the suite must be very nice for costing so much. She hoped Bogo wouldn't mind the expense. "So what time do you get off Naomi?"

"Not till the morning," Naomi said casually, already knowing where the conversation was going. The leopard leaned in close so only Tammy could hear, "and before you get your hopes up I am sorry to report I don't really swing that way."

"Can you blame a girl for trying?" Tammy asked with a slight blush. She quickly grabbed the 6 room keys and tried to escape the embarrassing situation. She paused however when she felt a large white and black paw on her own.

"Of course I would love a coffee and maybe we can talk," She said sweetly. Tammy beamed and nodded. Life wasn't always about meeting felines to hook up with, sometimes it was about coffee with a cute predator.

A few minutes later Tammy and the Hopps were getting situated in the beautiful suite that Judy would probably be calling home for a few days. Tammy thought that if getting mammal napped would land her in such suite digs she may have to give it a whirl sometime. While Stu and Bonnie got settled Tammy texted away to several different numbers. She had informed Bogo of the room she had gotten and apologized in advance for the bill. To her pleasure Bogo brushed off the expense and said he would just take it from Wilde's pay. She then texted Nick and gave him the address of the hotel and the room number. Nick knew of the hotel and was surprised Bogo approved such a big expense but was more than happy to stay on the company dime.

Tammy informed Nick that Bogo had suggested taking the expenses out of Nick's pay. The fox quickly demanded no room service and to start stealing towels. Tammy busted out laughing at the fox's comments. "Oh Judy you really know how to pick'em," She muttered as she took a moment to sit back on the large couch in the suites living room. She looked over at the TV and saw the clock was flashing a series of super low numbers. It was no longer night, it was morning. "Thank you chief for overtime..." Tammy said as she closed her eyes and rested her head back.

"Excuse me Offic-"

"I swear Stu if you call me Thompson!"

"Sorry Tam, old habits," Stu said defensively as he strolled into the room with his wife.

"It's alright sir, it's actually very refreshing to meet someone so polite, we don't get that too much in our line of work," Tammy pointed out as she sat up straight. She gave the two bunnies a friendly smile as they sat down across from her in a very large and comfy looking chair. The bunnies easily shared the furniture and could probably fit another 5 family members on the seat.

"Speaking of line of work," Stu said as he leaned forward. Tammy could already tell this would be interesting. "Is there anything else our daughter hasn't told us? Any high speed chases or gun battl-"

Tammy didn't let Stu finish as she raised a paw, "First off there is something you should know about your daughter."

Both the Hopps 'parents leaned on the edge of their seat, wanting to know everything they could about their daughter and her work.

"She is hands down the best officer in the ZPD! I can't honestly think of a better officer! She is brave, kind, driven, friendly, focused, and a great deal of other nice words!" Tammy began as she brushed off the front of her uniform. Her badge glinting in the light of the room. She felt proud to wear it. She also felt proud knowing that Judy wore one too. "That being said you should know Judy is going to find danger in the city. There is no hiding that fact. But it's important to understand she is the most capable at handling it!"

"What about that army looking guy? Cant mammals like him take care of things instead?" Stu asked, hinting at Delta and the tactical teams.

Tammy let out a soft laugh, "You ask him that when he gets here. I am willing to bet a week's pay even he would say Judy could handle herself better than him. I mean look what happened at the hospital. The guy was running from your daughter! I have done the same thing too! Judy is as tough as nails and even the biggest of preds know their place around her!"

Stu and Bonnie looked at one another and Tammy detected a smile on their faces. She stretched her powerful arms for a second and then continued. "You know I have gotten to know Delta recently. Met him a few times before. He is a nice guy. He told me once that in our line of work things will happen. It's our job. There is no point worrying our families. He said once Never tell them the problem, always tell them the solution."

Bonnie began to nod, "Sounds like a smart mammal."

Tammy shook her head, "No he is an idiot!" Tammy was of course just teasing. "He has his moments though."

Stu seemed to still be unconvinced so Tammy decided to lay it on heavy.

"There is another reason we need Judy here..." Tammy said in a lower voice. Her expression becoming colder. "It's about this case. This cannot leave this room. You cannot let anyone know I told you this!"

Stu and Bonnie gave Tammy a concerned look but both agreed to the cheetah's terms.

Tammy pulled out her cellphone and proceeded to flip through her pictures. When she found the album she was looking for she handed her phone over to Stu. The farmer took the phone in his paws and tilted the screen. The image was of two grinning cheetahs. Both their mouths covered in green mint ice cream, a ferris wheel in the background.

"Beautiful! Is this your daughter?" Stu asked as Bonnie leaned over to take a look.

"She is very lovely!" Bonnie complimented.

Tammy let out a soft chuckle, "No that's not my daughter, well technically not. I treat her like my own though and would do anything for her. That is Angie Tops. Bogo's god daughter"

The confused looks she received at this point made her grin.

"Years ago before Bogo was our chief he was a regular patrol officer like Judy and I. He had a partner like Judy had. A cheetah named Hank Tops," Tammy could already feel the tears forming in her eyes. She did nothing to hide them though. "One night something happened though, Hank gave his life to protect Bogo and the city. He was killed in the line of duty." As tammy spoke she reached over to the phone and pressed a paw to the screen and slid it. Another image of Angie appeared, wearing a bright pink top hat and giggling. The pictures had been taken at a festival of some kind. Image after image showed a beautiful young cheetah. Her smile was bright and friendly. Some images were just of the young predator. Others had Tammy with her arms wrapped around Angie. Occasionally one of Bogo would appear. The Hopps were surprised to see the image of the chief appear in such manners. To them he was Judy's stern and commanding boss. The pictures showed a completely different mammal. He did not even try to look fierce or intimidating. A goofy grin on his face as he held Angie close, the cheetah nuzzling into his side. One picture even had an image of Angie and he with their faces painted, making a series of goofy faces.

"Oh I love those! That was for a family event at Angie's school..." Tammy said as tears poured down her cheek, "she asked me to go! That was the first time…oh my gosh I'm sorry it's just, she told me she thought of me as her mother, paws down greatest moment of my life!"

Bonnie put a paw on her mouth as she tried to keep in a surprised gasp at the news. Stu's lips began to quiver.

"This poor girl lost her mother in child birth. Then her father was taken from her…." Tammy explained. She then took in a deep breath, "And then she was the first predator to be attacked by this new night howler threat..."

"Oh that poor dear! How is she? Is there anything we can do?" Bonnie offered as she reached into her pocket to retrieve a cloth. Stu was practically bawling at this point and Bonnie dabbed her husband's cheeks.

Tammy began to laugh, "You know even for all the hardships she has been through she is still an amazing and wonderful young lady..." Tammy flipped through the pictures and stopped on one where Angie and a handsome looking Zebra were sharing a gentle kiss as they sat on a couch. Tammy slid through several images which played out a funny story. Bogo's head popped up in the background. Each image showing him getting closer and closer until the last image showed him sitting on the couch in-between the two young mammals holding a bowl of chips. A triumphant look on his face as the Zebra gave the chief a weak smile. Angie glaring at her god father for interrupting her fun little moment.

"That was the other day after her now boyfriend Jerry was released from the hospital" Tammy said as she began to laugh. The two distraught bunnies watched the images play out and both seemed to calm down. Stu let out a laugh at Bogo's antics while Bonnie just rolled her eyes.

"Don't get any ideas mister, Judy is an adult!" Bonnie said as she gave her husband a nudge.

Tammy laughed at the thought of Stu getting in between Judy and Nick. She would pay good money to see that actually.

"Don't think of the problems Judy has to face," Tammy began to say, bringing the conversation back to the main topic, "Like Delta said look at the solutions she will help bring. Someone like Judy is just what the city needs to solve its problems. So mammals like Angie ad Jerry can live out the life's they deserve to live. Your daughter is an amazing mammal and I am lucky to count her among my friends. Just know that if she doesn't tell you everything it's not to hurt you. It's so you do not worry about her as she makes the world a better place…"

Stu and Bonnie began to understand where Tammy was coming from. They admitted that though they were both still terrified about Judy being an officer it was nice hearing such kind words about their daughter from one of her coworkers. The conversation changed not long after that. Tammy wanting to try and get some embarrassing stories about Judy from when she was a little kit. Much to her joy Bonnie actually had a few family photos loaded up on her phone. The cheetah almost lost it when she saw the pictures of Judy dressed up as a police officer.

"Oh gosh so doomed from the start eh?" She asked as she kept looking down at the adorable picture.

Stu nodded and gave a shrug, "We tried to warn her, but you know how Judy can be..."

The three mammals sat around and shared a few stories. Tammy was starting to fall in love with the Hopps parents as she listened to them. They were simple folks but were very kind and caring. They constantly asked Tammy about her life and actually seemed interested in what she had to say. At one point she even let slip about her love interests. Admitting she was more interested in female felines than anything. Bonnie began to talk about the cute receptionist downstairs and when Tammy informed them she had been kinda shot down Stu just waved a paw to the side, claiming that Naomi was missing out. Tammy felt like she was talking to her own parents at one point.

There was finally a small knock at the door followed by a text from Nick saying they were there. Tammy hopped up from her seat and strolled over to the door. When she opened it she was surprised to see the whole gang was in the hallway. Atom and Delta stood on either side of the group, their eyes scanning the hallway as if daring a door to burst open and cause a problem. Judy and Trisha were arm in arm as they strolled in. Nick had been given luggage detail as he carried a stuffed ZPD bag full of Judy's things into the room.

Everyone was in awe of the hotel room. Except for Atom whose nose began to twitch. Delta watched his partner closely as the detector walked into the small kitchen and began to put his nose to the cupboards. His tail began to wag quickly as he threw open a door that revealed a small hotel mini bar that was packed full of pricey spirits and snacks.

"Get away from that you goof ball!" Delta demanded but his partner ignored him as he grabbed an armful of expensive snacks and darted for one of the bedrooms. "OI! Come back! You are gonna have to pay for that!"

"So you reveal any more big secrets while we were gone?" Trisha teased Tammy as Nick and Trisha headed back to the couch with the cheetah. Judy found herself standing alone with her parents as the rest of the group scattered.

Her ears drooped slightly as she looked from her mother and then to her father. The trip to her apartment had been a nice escape however she now had to face them once more. She was so tired from the day's events she wasn't sure how much more of a fight she could put up. To her surprise however there was no fight. Just the warmest and most love filled hug she had ever gotten. Stu and Bonnie wrapped their arms around their beautiful daughter and held her close. Informing her of the conversation they had with Tammy. The cheetah putting things into perspective. They admitted that though they would still worry they wanted her to know that they would always support her.

Judy was in tears and nuzzled her cheeks into her parents as she put her arms around them. Loving every bit of affection she received. "Thanks you guys…" She whispered as she gave them each a kiss on the cheek. "I am sorry I didn't tell you about what had happened before..."

"It's probably for the best, think I would have had a heart attack!" Stu admitted.

"Just try not to keep so many things hidden ok? We want to support you but we need to know what's going on!" Bonnie said firmly as she took Judy's paws into her own.

Judy nodded and gave a slight sniffle, still recovering from the tears.

There was a commotion from one of the bedrooms and everyone heard Delta curse. All eyes went to the doorway in time to see Atom running from the room carrying as many pillows as he could. Delta came out seconds later after his partner. When he noticed all eyes on him he paused and just shook his head, "He just ate $70 in junk food and is now proceeding to build a pillow fort. And Westpaw thinks I am the trouble maker?" With that the canine chased after his partner into the other bedroom.

Everyone burst out laughing at the hijinks of the detection team and soon returned to their own conversations. Stu and Bonnie led Judy over to the couches where Trisha, Nick, and Tammy were busy gossiping.

"You didn't! Him? What would make you do that?" Tammy asked as she scrunched her nose in mock disgust. "Canines are so gross!"

"Hey now!" Nick said feigning insult.

"I know what I said and stand by it!" Tammy announced as she stuck out her lounge at Nick.

"I don't know, heard they make great kissers..." Trisha said, giving Judy a playful wink. Judy wanted to stop Trisha but it was already too late, "Isn't that right Judy?"

The gray doe's eyes went wide as she glared at Trisha who just smiled back.

"Oh that's right! How did your date go?" Stu asked as he took a seat next to Nick and gave the fox a pat on the shoulder.

"It was fun! We had a lot of fun!" Judy interrupted, trying to keep the conversation under control. "Mom Dad, you two must be exhausted from the drive into town. Plus Nick and I are pretty wiped out from today so maybe it's time to call it a night?"

"Smooth..." Tammy said playfully but started to stand. The cheetah took a moment to stretch. "Stu, Bonnie, it was very nice meeting you two! Hope we can see each other again sometime!"

Bonnie and Stu both stood up and shook Tammy's hand, "Thank you Tammy for everything! It was truly a pleasure meeting you!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"Take care darling," Stu said kindly and gave Tammy a nod.

Tammy looked down at Trisha, "You drive here?"

Trisha shook her head innocently as her ears flopped about.

"Need a ride?"

"Yes please! Can I play with the siren! Delta let me play with his!" Trisha exclaimed.

"Bet he did," Tammy muttered, "I will be happy to give ya a lift home, my shift is almost done."

"Thanks! Let me just go say good night to Atom and Delta. They said they have to stay here for a bit anyways!" Trisha explained as she jumped off the couch and headed to the bed room where Delta and Atom had ran into.

"So what's the bedding situation?" Nick asked casually as he looked over at Stu and Bonnie.

"2 full and 1 queen," Stu said slowly as he looked over at the fox, "What do you think?"

Judy's mind began to do some simple math. Maybe her parents would want the queen while she and Nick shared a full. Or maybe her parents would want the full since they were used to the smaller beds anyways. Judy however wasn't thinking of another factor. These were her parents! Nick however knew he was being tested.

The fox mulled it over for a bit, "Well I am used to a couch so I can just sleep out here while Judy gets one room and you two get the other."

"Oh dear there are 3 beds though! You shouldn't have to sleep on the couch!" Bonnie said sweetly.

Nick's ears flicked which told Judy he was slightly anxious now. His first plan had been shot down. She also noticed how her father was starting to stare the fox down. Almost daring the male to suggest sharing a bed with his daughter.

Nick however thought quickly, "Well maybe if the girls don't mind sharing a bed Stu and I can split the two fulls!"

"Great idea Nick!" Judy exclaimed. Trying to get everyone on board and away from this awkward conversation.

"Oh that sounds lovely," Bonnie agreed as she looked at her husband.

Stu nodded and gave Nick a smirk, "Smart boy"

Nick had apparently passed the test and earned a little more respect from Judy's father. Judy let out a sigh of relief. The rest of the conversation was interrupted by Atom as he stomped back into the room. A look of defeat one the canines face as he carried some pillows back to the other bedroom.

Delta and Trisha however remained absent. Judy excused herself from the others and went to go check on Trisha and Delta. As she walked into the other bedroom she heard hushed voices which caused her to freeze. Her ears perked up slightly as she listened to the conversation between the spotted dog and the bunny.

"Maybe just a little slow is all," Trisha whispered playfully.

"Last time I checked you were the one who attacked me!" Delta pointed out.

"You call that an attack huh? Well better watch out because I can be very vicious…" Trisha said seductively.

Judy slowly glanced around the corner and her eyes widened at what she saw. Trisha had her legs wrapped around Delta's waist as her arms fell casually on his shoulders. Delta was holding Trisha up, his paws just resting beneath the bunny's round butt. Their lips were just inches apart and their eyes were just barely opened as they studied each other.

"What the hell?!" Judy's inner voice screamed with jealousy. She couldn't explain it but watching Trisha with someone like that caused Judy to just feel left out. She didn't know why these feelings manifested though. She should be happy about this! She had Nick and now Trisha had Delta. Maybe it was the fact these two were moving faster or something? Yeah that must be it! Couldn't be anything else!

"So is this too fast?" Delta asked as he closed the gap between their lips and pressed his gently against Trisha's. The brown doe left out a soft sigh as she welcomed the kiss. Her arms wrapping around the canine's lips. Delta pulled back slightly and looked at Trisha who licked her own lips, enjoying his lingering taste.

"No, think you should actually press the gas a little," Trisha whispered.

That was the final straw. For some reason Judy didn't want to see anymore. She took a few steps back and then proceeded to knock on the door. She heard some scuffling from in the bed room. She walked around the corner hoping she had given the two enough time to detach from one another.

Trisha was smiling at Judy but her expression changed as she studied the gray doe. Delta on the other hand was oblivious and smiled in Judy's direction.

"Had Atom return some of the pillow to the other room, he can be a little goofy when we work late nights so he acts up a bit. Sorry if we messed anything up!" Delta explained.

Judy gave the canine a smile and waved her hand aside, "No its ok, just wanted to check on Trisha. I think Tammy wants to head out now."

"Of course, let me go see you all off," Delta said as he walked out of the bedroom. Judy turned to follow but felt Trisha grab her wrist. Judy turned and looked at her friend.

"What?" Judy asked, unable to hide her annoyance.

"Me what? You what?" Trisha said quickly as she pulled her friend close.

Something was wrong. Very wrong. Or was it right? A carnal instinct inside Judy took over suddenly. There was no warning like the other times. No this time it was like a flash. Trisha had intended to bring Judy close so they could talk. Judy however felt her legs keep moving and her muscles flex. With lighting reflexes she pinned Trisha to the wall. One grabbing a brown wrist while the other pressed Trisha's waist so hard the brown doe was slammed gently into the wall. Judy was breathing heavy as she leaned close, her nose brushing against Trisha's as their lips remained just a centimeter apart.

"Judy what the hell?!" Trisha blurted out as her bright blue eyes darted up and down the gray doe who had lost control.

"Shut up and enjoy it!" Judy growled in a voice unlike her own.

"Judy seriously if this is a joke it needs to stop!" Trisha began to beg as tears formed in her eyes.

"No..its…its..no.." Judy said as her head throbbed. The carnal urges began to pass and now a wave of regret washed over the poor doe.

"Oh my god!" Judy whispered in panic. She let go of Trisha and began to fall ack. This time it was Trisha's turn to act quickly. She wrapped her arms around Judy and pulled her into a hug.

"It's ok Judy I got you!" Trisha said, the bunny had a feeling this was not Judy's doing and decided to focus on getting Judy in a better place now and worrying about what caused this later.

"Trisha what did I do?!" Judy began to sob. Try as she might she couldn't be quiet. The two slowly lowered to the floor as Trisha ran a paw down Judy's ears, trying to comfort her friend.

Judy heard footsteps and soon Nick entered the room.

"Nick! Help!" Trisha begged as she looked up at the fox in desperation. Judy was shaking now, her crying starting to subside.

"Hey Carrots! What happened?" Nick asked as he tried to scoop Judy up. The gray doe shook her head and suddenly tightened her grip on Trisha. Nick didn't try to pull them apart and Trisha remained holding Judy. When Nick tried to move away though Judy let out a quick gasp and grabbed his good arm. Nick looked down at Judy. His bright green eyes filled with concern. Judy pulled on Nick's arm and the fox understood what she needed.

Nick slowly got down on the floor with the two does and wrapped his arm around them. Bringing both Judy and Trisha in close. Judy remained in the center of her friends as she continued to shake, her breathing starting to return to normal. Trisha remained on one side of her friend while Nick the other.

Judy couldn't explain why she needed them both but she just did. She was happy they understood. Together they all remained silent. Nick holding the bunny's close while Trisha gently stroked Judy's ears. They would get through this storm together.

* * *

 **Hey everyone.**

 **So first off I am happy to report that my operation was a success. Special shout out to all the doctors and nurses out there! The ladies taking care of me during the process were absolutely amazing! Nurses everywhere dont get enough credit for the amazing work they do! So thank your nurses next time you see them!**

 **My doctor says I am still down though and need to relax and recover. We are hoping I may get to return to work by the start of next month though! Cant wait! I miss my team! They have also been amazing during this and have been checking in on me constantly! I get sweet pictures and get well messages from my partner everyday! I will be back soon bud!**

 **I would like to take a moment to also thank many of you! The amount of support I have received during this ordeal has been absolutely amazing! The well wishes and words of encouragement really helped and I am very grateful to know so many kind and caring individuals! You are all amazing!**

 **Time for some fun stuff:**

 **Not sure if you are all aware but we now have a picture of Trisha! Its amazing! If you want to see it go check out _We just call them extras._ Its the cover image so you dont even need to venture into that maddness! There is a chapter about the picture though so if you want some back story to the image check it out. Special thanks to Soildier for making it all happen. The artists name is xNirox and I cant begin to describe what amazing job she did on this work! **

**Hope to have more for you all soon!**

 **-Blue**


	38. Figuring us out

Figuring us out

"Zulu-77 from control," Came a familiar cheetah's voice over the speaker. Judy beamed as she reached over, beating her partner to the punch. She stuck her tongue out teasingly to the other officer and smirked as she keyed up the mike.

"Zulu-77 here, what's up Benny?" Judy asked

"Hey Judy, we got reports of some kind of unlicensed street vendor over by Mystic springs oasis, would you and the wild one mind heading over to check it out?" Benny requested.

"Of course! A certain someone is still nursing a hangover from last night, maybe we can swing by the oasis for some meditation!" Judy said as she her partner a wink. Enjoying the fact that a certain someone had been sitting in the corner with a pair of patrol aviators while nursing a coffee all day. "You can show us 10-51!"

"10-26, Zulu-77 is 10-51, control clear!"

"Ugh, Benny why do you do these terrible things to me?" Trisha asked as she sipped at her coffee. The brown bunny looked over at Judy who was beaming happily, "And why do we have to take all the calls in the brightest of districts?!"

"Awww, come on! The sun is good for you!" Judy offered as she began to maneuver the ZPD cruiser down the street.

"No, the sun is evil and should be destroyed!" Trisha grumbled. The doe then rolled down the window and began to shout at the sky, "You hear me you stupid light bulb!"

"Trisha!" Judy shouted quickly, "Get your butt back in here!"

Judy looked over and her eyes lingered on the rather tight blue pants that Trisha wore. Trisha's uniform was similar to Judy's except she hadn't managed to get a tactical vest from Ty so she was stuck with a standard dark blue vest. Her shirt however was short sleeved, the bunny always complaining about being too hot. Hot was right, Judy couldn't explain why but lately her partner had been in fine form. She had been having trouble looking away sometimes, now for example. Unfortunately Judy didn't manage to look away quick enough as Trisha scrambled back into the car.

"Enjoy the show Hopps?" Trisha asked seductively, the brown doe knowing full well she was being checked out.

Judy could feel her cheeks warm as she tried her best not to blush.

"So uhhh, how was your night?" Judy asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

Trisha burst out laughing at the feeble attempt but decided to just go along with things, "It was fun, Benny and I went to the 10-7 for karaoke night! You should have come!"

"I know I know, I wanted to I was just busy!" Judy said. She had actually wanted to go very badly and spend time with her coworkers. She had just been so bogged down with paper work lately.

"Excuses Excuses!" Trisha teased as she took a swig from her coffee cup.

"Anyone else show up?" Judy asked as she pulled up to a light that had just turned red. She had a feeling they would be stuck for a bit. This particular intersection in the Sahara district was notorious for long lights. Judy made herself comfortable and looked over at her partner.

"Yeah, some mammals from the tactical unit," Trisha said as she put her sunglasses on her head and looked over at her partner, "That Delta guy, cute as he is, just can't take a hint!"

"Awww, sounds like someone is interested in a certain brown beauty!" Judy teased.

"Yeah, not interested!" Trisha giggled as she eyed her partner. Her bright blue eyes looking right into Judy's violet ones.

"Well what are you interested in?" Judy asked, she had been testing these waters out for a while now. Timidly dipping her paws into the pool. Now though seemed like a good times to test the waters.

"Not sure, still figuring things out" Trisha said plainly.

Judy smirked as she looked over at her partner.

"Green Judy," Trisha said and nodded up at the light.

"Oh wow, normally that light sits on red forever!"

"Guess we are just lucky!" Trisha suggested and winced. Only just releasing how much of a stereotype a pair of lucky rabbits were.

A few minutes later the pair pulled up to the parking lot of the Mystic Springs Oasis. Judy had funny memories of this place from when she and Trisha had first started in the ZPD. As Trisha scrambled out of the car and stretched Judy called Benny to inform him they had arrived on scene. Just before finishing her conversation on the radio she spotted a familiar fox across the street leaning against a green car. "Be advised we have visual of the mammal in question, everything is 10-4. We will be standing by though just to make sure there aren't any problems."

Once Benny had acknowledged the transmission Judy closed the door and walked to the back of the squad car where her partner was waiting.

"Freaking serious?! Again?" Trisha asked as she looked over at Nick and shook her head.

"Poor guy gets this a lot," Judy pointed out, "Come on, least we can do is say hi so people can see we made contact."

With that the two officers strolled across the street towards the fox.

"Well well well, if it isn't the luckiest team on the force!" Nick said teasingly as the bunny's approached.

"Har har, tell me Nick do you have like a list of bad jokes laying around somewhere or do you think this junk up on the fly?" Trisha asked as she leaned against the car, letting the ice that kept the fox's pawciscles cold cool her fur.

"Actually I keep a list just in case I see my favorite pair of flat foots," Nick said simply.

"Guess you know why we are here," Judy said quickly as she scanned the side walk. A few mammals passing by eyed the scene. All of them giving not so pleasant looks towards the fox.

"Yes I do, Trisha wanted to come hear my jokes!"

The three enjoyed a good laugh before returning to the task at hand. "Gotta say, impressive response time, only got here about 10 minutes ago, did they say who called me in?"

"Naw, another anonymous tip," Judy explained.

"Gotta watch those sneaky fox's and their pawpsicle! Those hidden sugars are what gets ya!" Trisha pointed out as she eyed one of the cool looking treats. The sun was beating down on the three mammals and Trisha just couldn't take it anymore. "Gods be damned, I'm buying one! Want one Jud? It's too damn hot not to have….wait a tic! Did you call yourself in so we would show up and buy these?!"

Nick had a sly look on his face as he held up his paws, "I have no idea what you are talking about Trisha! I would never take advantage of my favorite ladies in blue!"

Judy began to giggle as she saw through Nick's tricks. He was pretty smart. He wasn't breaking any laws and his business was on the up and up. Every once and a while though the ZPD would get a call about him. They would send a unit out to check up on him, most of the time buying some ice cold treats while they were in the area.

"Oh for the love of…you…I mean…really?" Trisha blurted out as she started at the fox in disbelief.

Nick smiled as he reached over and took the money that was gripped in Trisha's paw. She let the fox take the money and stared at him as he smugly counted out her change and handed it back to her. He then reached over and plucked two bright red pawpsicles from the ice and handed each of the bunnies their cold.

"Thanks Nick!" Judy said happily as she took her own pawpsicle and gave it a quick lick. She then looked over at her partner who was staring down at her own treat. Obviously still trying to figure out how she had been hustled so many times. "And thank you partner for treating me!" Judy said as she strolled over to Trisha and put her paw under Trisha's. She then raised her own paw causing the doe to move the pawpsicle up to her mouth. Trisha looked over at her partner and gave her a weak smile.

"I just realized we have been to his stand about every other day for about 2 months now…"

"My best customers!" Nick announced slyly as he gave the ladies a wink.

"I think I'm gonna cuff him, hold my ice cream!" Trisha said as she started to go for her belt. It was all in fun, Trisha never actually pulled her cuffs out and Nick knew he was safe with his friends.

After joking around for another few minutes the officers excused themselves. Trisha thinking it would not be best for a few officers to be seen loitering in one spot for extended periods. After they said good bye to Nick Judy led Trisha down the sidewalk towards the Springs. Trisha protested at first, wanting to return to the cool confines of the squad card but Judy insisted they needed to work off that sweet snack they had just enjoyed.

As the couple walked down the sidewalks they got a few nods and waves from citizens busy about their business. Judy giving them a bright open mouth smile while Trisha gave them a friendly wave. The two worked well together and were actually quite a pretty site together. Mind you looks could be deceiving. There had been several occasions where preds say an easy score and didn't worry if they were ZPD or not. One pour jackal learned the hard way that while Judy was nimble and had a mean hook Trisha packed a powerful side kick that could break a rib with ease. Together the bunnies were a fierce fighting team.

As the two strolled down the side walk Trisha nodded over to an alleyway which offered the pair some shade. She begged Judy to give her just a few minutes rest. Judy giggled and nodded, allowing her partner a chance to cool off.

Trisha strolled down the alleyway and Judy followed suit. Once the bunnies were in the shade provided by the buildings Judy detected the temp actually did drop off slightly. It wasn't cold, but at least it was no longer scorching. Judy had been lost in her thoughts and hadn't exactly been paying attention to Trisha.

Judy felt a pair of brown paws grab her and suddenly push her against one of the walls to the alleyway. For a split second Judy thought she was being attacked by some unseen assailant. When she looked straight ahead though she was it was her partner that now had Judy pinned. Pinned wasn't exactly the best word though. One paw was around Judy's wrist and holding her paw above her head while Trisha's other arm was wrapped around Judy's waist.

"Trisha, what's going on?" Judy asked in surprise. Her bright purple eyes scanning the brown doe in front of her.

"Should be asking you that," Trisha whispered playfully as she pressed her body against Judy. She couldn't explain it but this felt so right. The feeling of the small brown doe against her was driving her mad. Judy instinctively put her free arm on Trisha's shoulder and began to run a paw over the back of Trisha's head, her digits digging into the soft brown fur.

"I…I think we are...this…this is." Judy couldn't put what was going on into words.

"How about I help you out?" Trisha asked as she leaned close and pressed her lips to Judy's. The bunnies shared a passionate kiss for a few minutes. Their lips parting almost instantly as their tongues began to wrap around one another. Trisha pulled away from Judy's lips and then began to gently kiss at her gray cheeks. Slowly moving down to Judy's neck.

"Oh my gosh I have wanted this!" Judy admitted as she pulled Trisha closer.

"You sure about that?" Trisha asked in between kisses.

"Ever since we became partners! I can't explain it, I just..."Judy moaned as she let her eye lids droop. The feelings coursing through her were amazing. She soon gave in to her urges and let her emotions run free.

"You can't have both you know!" Trisha whispered.

"What do you mean?" Judy asked in surprise.

"You either be with me or let me be with another!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I am talking about!" Trisha growled into Judy's ears as her paw began to unlatch Judy's duty belt. The gray doe offered no resistance, the way she began to grind her body against Trisha's just spurred the brown bunny on.

"No I don't!"

"Maybe this will help you decide!" Trisha moaned as she finally got Judy's belt undone and slowly reached for the zipper. Judy didn't stop Trisha. No, she wanted this. She had always wanted this. Right? Then why did this feel so strange?

"Wait! Wait! WAIT!"

Judy's eyes shot open. She wasn't in some alleyway in Sahara Square, she wasn't in uniform, and she wasn't partners with Trisha. No that's right, she was partners with Nick. She had always been partners with him. He was the one she was dating!

"Then why is she sleeping right next to you?" Judy's inner voice asked. Judy had thought the figure laying in front of her was Nick but it wasn't until her eyes adjusted and her brain started waking up did she realize her fox was absent. Instead a very beautiful brown bunny was curled up, one of her paws intertwined with Judy's.

"What was that….?" Judy let out in a soft whisper.

Trisha's nose scrunched and she let out a soft groan. "Mmmmm…what?"

"Oh shit she is a light sleeper?" Judy's inner voice shouted. Judy's eyes went wide as she willed Trisha to go back to sleep. It was no use though as the brown doe began to stir.

Trisha slowly opened her eyes and blinked a few times. Her bright blue eyes looking directly at Judy.

"Hi..." Judy said nervously. The image of ZPD Trisha still in her mind.

Trisha stared at Judy for a moment and then leaned forward.

"Oh gosh is she gonna kiss me?! Was that a dream? What's real? Do I stop her?" Judy thought in a panic. However a second later she felt Trisha's nose gently press against her own.

"Boop…"Trisha whispered playfully and then scooted back a bit.

Judy let out a relieved sigh.

Trisha's expression began to change. Her sleepy happy self soon was replaced by a bunny deep in thought. It must have had something to do with Judy too because of the way her bright blue eyes were staring at her.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked sweetly as she gave Trisha's paw a squeeze. Trisha scooted around a little to get comfortable and then took in a deep breath.

"What happened last night?" She asked softly. Her eyes seemed glossy, like she was on the verge of tears.

"I don't know wha-"

"Was it because of me and Delta?"

"No!" Judy said defensively.

A tear rolled down Trisha's cheek, "Please don't lie…"

It was Judy's turn to take a deep breath as she tried to look for the words she wanted to use. She decided she owed Trisha the truth. "Yes...When I saw him holding you I ju-"

"I had a feeling you had scene that..." Trisha asked in surprise.

"Sharp Bunny!" Judy's inner voice mimicked Nick.

"Yeah, sorry, I should have knocked first. I came around the corner and saw you two and then backed out of the room…" Judy admitted, deciding she owed her friend the truth.

Trisha remained silent as she looked down at Judy and then back into her eyes. Silence remained between the two does for a few more seconds before Judy decided to break the tension.

"I'm sorry what happened last night..."Judy said softly.

"Don't be, it was just surprising is all," Trisha said sweetly as she slowly reached over with her free paw and rubbed Judy's cheek. It wasn't just a sign of affection, it was also a kind of forgiveness. Telling Judy that the brown bunny still cared. How much she cared for Judy was now the big question. Judy wanted to know so badly how things were going to be now between the two but should couldn't figure out how to started that conversation. "I think though we need to talk..."

Okay, so that is how to start that conversation.

"About us?" Judy asked. She couldn't believe she had just used those words as she stared at the doe in front of her. Never in a million years did she think she would be part of a conversation like this.

"About us," Trisha nodded firmly. The two remained lying next to one another, neither of them wanting to leave from their current spot. Judy however had to admit this felt somewhat awkward. She had Nick now and laying like this felt odd. Would he be ok with it? Would he be angry at her? Was he already upset about what had transpired last night?

"Where do we even start?" Judy asked nervously.

Trisha gave Judy a warm smile, "Well first off we start with a bit more of a perky attitude I think! Come on Judy! Where is that bubbly personality we all know and love?"

"It's still waking up!" Judy teased as the girls began to laugh. "Just a little nervous is all, never really been in this kind of situation before..."

"Oh and I have?!" Trisha blurted out, "Yeah no! This is completely new to me too! I have never even had a relationship till I got to this city!"

"What? The way you act?"

"Oh and how do I act huh?" Trisha growled. Judy had a hard time figuring out if Trisha was joking or not. She decided to tread carefully.

"Flirtatious?" Judy decided it was the best word.

"Okay yeah, that is pretty accurate!" Trisha said as she stuck out her tongue. The two began to giggle a little and the mood lightened. "How about this, we just say what we are to each other…and before you give me that look that's already on your face I think it's important to know where we stand with one another!"

"As long as I am not going first!" Judy chuckled, thinking it would probably be best to let Trisha go first so she could hear what the brown bunny was thinking.

"The famous Judy Hopps sounds kinda scared, I like it!"

"So what am I?" Judy asked, anxious to hear Trisha's answers. This wasn't going to exactly change anything. Judy had no intention of losing what she had with Nick and she could tell Trisha wouldn't try to get between them. In fact it had been her own behavior last night that brought things into question. She focused on Trisha and did her best not to think about the night before.

"Okay, ground rules!" Trisha said as she started to sit up in bed. The brown bunny maneuvered herself so she was now sitting against the pillows that rested against the headboard. She then pulled the still drowsy Judy up so the bunny was resting her head on Trisha's chest. Judy couldn't begin to describe how comfortable she felt. There was nothing sexual or perverse about it, she enjoyed the softness of her friends chest and allowed herself to be held. Is this what it would be like if she had made a different choice so far back? Trisha wrapped an arm around Judy's shoulder and grabbed one of Judy's paws while she rested the other on her leg. Judy however instinctively reached out and scooped the free paw up and gave her friend a gentle squeeze. Judy loved things like this. Thought Trisha was no Nick, she was a very close second, the thought caused more confusion for her than anything.

"Ground rules..."Judy repeated as she let her eye lids drooped and enjoyed just being held.

"No lying, not even little ones to protect feelings," Trisha began to make a list.

"Okay, no lying," Judy agreed.

"No unanswered questions."

"Answer all questions."

"Finally, no matter what, we are still friends okay? If you stop talking to me after this I swear I will go to the ZPD every day to bug you!"

"While I go to the 10-7 every night just to see that smile of yours," Judy whispered with a smirk.

"Awwwwww, you're a big old dork! You and Nick truly are perfect for one another!" Trisha complimented Judy as she nuzzled her chin into the top of the gray does head.

"So you first," Judy reminded Trisha, still wanting to hear her friends answer.

"What do you want to know?" Trisha asked, there was no hesitation or anxiousness in her voice. Judy felt a little more confident because of that.

"What am I to you?" Judy asked nervously. The way the two were sitting didn't allow Judy an easy way of looking right at Trisha. This was ok though, just being held was enough.

"You are Judy," Trisha began softly as she whispered the sweet words into Judy's ears, "I wish I could say you are MY Judy but….you aren't. That's ok though!" Trisha began. She gave Judy a small squeeze at the last part. "I really wish I had found you sooner, or Nick wasn't interested, or you were into chicks….but you aren't and I am ok with that! What you are to me though is a very dear friend. I know we only just met but it feels like I have known you for a while…mainly because I watched all the interviews and read all the magazines..."

"Stalker," Judy whispered playfully which got Trisha giggling.

"I prefer aggressive following!" Trisha shot back as she gave Judy a kiss on the head. The feeling of Trisha's soft lips made Judy blush slightly.

""I prefer a restraining order!"

"Keep it up!" Trisha grumbled as she let go of Judy's paw and gave the gray bunny a quick poke in the ribs. Judy gasped at the poking and began to squirm. Trisha held her close thought and soon Judy found herself calming down. She snuggled back into her friend.

"I will be honest Judy, when you told me about how Nick turned you down I thought I had a chance, a really good chance! That night at the 10-7 when we kissed…I thought that maybe...well...I don't know that maybe you would want to go home with me…" This sudden revelation from Trisha surprised Judy. She hadn't necessarily thought about it that way. She then realized that Trisha had been aware of Nick shooting her down and telling her to wait. What she hadn't been aware of was all the close calls: the near kisses, the moments where they just looked into one another's eyes, the way they had talked. No. Trisha had not been made aware of any of that.

"And not like in a crazy strap you down kind of way, but in a just sleep together and wake up in one anothers-whats up?" Trisha had begun again but was cut off by Judy who suddenly sat up and turned to look at Trisha, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"This was my fault!" Judy admitted as she shook her head.

Trisha stretched her paw to Judy's mouth and placed a digit against the gray doe's lips. Quieting her before things got out of hand.

"Another new rule!" Trisha started to say. Judy looked directly at her friend, "No sad crying!"

Judy's shoulder shook as she held in a laugh. She then nodded as she looked right into Trisha's bright blue eyes.

"Your turn!"

Judy took in a deep breath. Her nerves starting to shake. The night howler mixing around inside her. She wanted to run. She wanted to just get out of there. Anything to avoid this conversation. She then looked back at Trisha. She had to be brave. She couldn't let the night howler take control of her all the time. She shunned all negative thoughts from her mind.

"Can…can I just do one thing?" Judy asked, her voice still shaky.

Trisha tilted her head slightly but gave Judy a warm smile, "What's up cutie?"

"Just…um...it's something that will keep me calm!" Judy said as she crawled towards Trisha. She then placed a paw on the brown bunny's shoulder and gently pushed Trisha back against the pillow. Trisha gave no resistance and allowed herself to be handled. She did however raise her ears in curious concern. Judy rested her head on Trisha's shoulder and placed a paw under her pillow. The other paw however reached down towards Trisha's waist band.

"What are you doing?" Trisha asked nervously as she grabbed Judy's wrist.

"Please it's not like that…it's just…I need to do something!" Judy explained as she looked directly into Trisha's eyes. The Blue gazed back into purple as the bunnies remained still for a moment. Judy felt Trisha's grip loosen. Judy then slowly grabbed the bottom of Trisha's shirt and gently slid her paw underneath.

Trisha's fur was so very soft and warm, it was wonderful to feel! Judy spread her digits out as she buried her paw in the brown fur of Trisha's stomach. She then pulled the brown doe closer and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you, this helps..." Judy whispered. She couldn't explain it but the feeling of Trisha's fur did calm her. She had down this to Nick once before. She had never realized it but she loved the feeling of fur in her paws. The warmth it gave off and the tickling feeling she would get. Something about it all just felt right.

"Just watch where the paw goes missy!" Trisha teased. Judy stole a glance and realized that Trisha's cheeks were bright red as the bunny blushed.

"Would you stop me?" Judy asked playfully.

"No and that's the problem!"

"You are Trisha, "Judy began, deciding to dive right in, "You are the brown bunny I got jealous of the first time we met! When I saw you hug Nick I wanted to floor you!"

Trisha busted out laughing at the comment. "Oh gosh, really?"

Judy nodded, "But then I saw the way you looked at me! No one had ever looked at me that way! Not even Nick! The night we met was the night I was shot down. It was such a weird night for me. Though I didn't get my fox I still got to meet you and for that I will always be grateful."

"That's right! Your first date! He was such an idiot!"

"I know right!"

"Glad he finally came to his senses!"

"Really? Are you really glad?" Judy asked as she stopped rubbing her paw through Trisha's fur.

"Yes, I am glad. Honestly I am! You two are made for each other! Plus he isn't all bad, I mean he did stay with you during the whole mammal napping thing right?" Trisha said honestly. Judy could tell the words were truthful and it made her heart swell with joy.

"Yeah he did, even when the counter was coming down…he never left" Judy whispered.

"Think that's a sign Judy," Trisha said in an equally soft tone.

"So where does that leave us?" Judy asked softly. Wanting to just get to the point of all this.

"Judy I care about you, I know we haven't known each other very long but it just happens that way sometimes! I will always care about you but that means I care enough to know you are with Nick. I am happy enough being your friend," Trisha said quickly. Judy could tell the words hurt Trisha but she was still glad to hear them.

"Best friend," Judy corrected her which caused Trisha to shake with joy. "I care about you too Trisha, and I know I will always care for you. It was wrong of me to get jealous. If you want to date Delta you should date him. You really should!"

"We shall see, I may just date him to get to Atom!" Trisha teased and the girls shared another laugh.

"Oh you can't date Atom! I am saving him for when Nick gets bored with me!"

"I didn't hear you call dibs!" Trisha pointed out.

"Dibs!"

"No it doesn't work that way!" Trisha shot back.

"Says who?" Judy asked quickly as she sat up in bed. She looked down at Trisha and her eyes went down to the does exposed stomach. Her own gray paw clashing with the brown and light fur of the doe's body.

"Says me!" Trisha said as she stuck her tongue out.

"Keep that tongue stuck out and you will regret it?" Judy said evilly.

"Yeah what are ya gonna do about it?" Trisha asked with her tongue still out past her lips, making her words sound funny.

The two bunnies fell silent as Judy looked down at Trisha. The beautiful brown doe was a sight to behold.

"Sadly nothing..."Judy said softly.

Trisha had a disappointed but understanding tone. "Too bad...wouldn't of minded a good morning smooch!"

"Sorry but that's kinda reserved for a certain fox now," Judy said playfully.

"Yeah I know," Trisha said with a pensive look. "Wouldn't have accepted it anyways. Made a promise to that dumb fox of yours."

"Well my ears are burning," Nick said as he knocked at the open door and strolled in

Both bunnies looked over at the approaching fox. Judy beamed and leapt from the bed. Nick caught her and let out a pleased noise as she brought her lips to his.

"So what were you two talking about?" Nick asked as he wrapped an arm around Judy's waist and pulled her close.

"Nothing!" The bunnies said in unison.

Nick looked over at Trisha who gave him an innocent smile as she stretched her arms, puffing her chest out. This had the desired effect on Nick as he quickly looked away and back at Judy.

"They always said canines were loyal," Trisha thought to herself.

"Well if you two aren't gonna spill the beans then I guess its time to head downstairs. Your parents and Tammy have a table for breakfast and they sent me up to get you two going."

"hehehe, get us going!" Trisha chuckled.

"Really?" Nick asked as he looked back at the brown doe who grinned.

Judy meanwhile nuzzled into Nick who still held the bunny in his good arm. She let out a soft purring noise which brought Nick's attention back to her.

"mmmm, five more minutes?" Judy asked as she closed her eyes, enjoying just being held in Nick's arms.

"Screw that I am starving!" Trisha said as she jumped from the bed and passed the couple. Trisha gave Judy a playful pat on the butt which caused the doe to squeal in surprise.

"Come on Carrots, let's get some grub," Nick said softly as he gave Judy a kiss on the top of her head, just between her ears.

Nick began to carry Judy out of the bed room when he froze and had an odd look on his face.

"Nick?" Judy asked as she looked into his bright emerald eyes, a look of confusion on the fox's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…"Nick began, almost sounding depressed. "Just had the urge to say a really good pun for no reason."

"You're weird," Judy whispered as she reached up and gave him a gentle peck on the cheek.

"Yeah…guess I am," Nick muttered as he continued to carry his bunny out. Trisha was already long gone. Having chosen to take the elevator and leave Nick and Judy to themselves. Nick however was adamant on getting Judy downstairs so they didn't linger in the hotel room. The whole while Nick continued to have an odd look on his face, as if he were missing something.

Nick shrugged the feelings aside as the two exited the hotel room, leaving the scene rather pun free.

* * *

 **Special Thanks to _Fox in the hen house_ for keeping me in check and for the amazing pun at the end! Also thanks for helping me through some rather troubling times during this chapter.**

 **I hope this puts to rest the Trisha and Judy questions. We can now see what they are: Best friends! Like super best friends!**

 **10/20/17: Geeze! Still getting threats about this one. Got rid of the problem. Ya'll just go about your reading.**


	39. Seeing the parents off again

Seeing off the parents, again

By the time Judy, Trisha, and Nick had made it down the elevator to the front lobby the sun was lazily rising in the sky. It was now late morning but still just early enough for the hotel's restaurant to be serving breakfast.

Judy had learned that while she had been sleeping both Atom and Delta had remained on duty. She felt guilty for making her new friends stay up so late on her account. Try as she might she felt like a burden now that she had other officers having to look after her. Nick constantly had to remind Judy how none of it was her fault. He also pointed out that he had a feeling she would gladly do the same for them had the roles been reversed.

As Judy stepped into the lobby she spotted Delta and Atom leaving the restaurant. Both of them looked exhausted but seemed to perk up at the sight of her. Or maybe it was the sight of Trisha.

"Morning sleeping beauties!" Delta said playfully as he stepped up to greet the three mammals. "You all slept in, must be nice…darn patrol officers!"

"Delta you look terrible," Nick commented, "Atom though is still looking good so I don't think it was the sleep!"

"You're lucky I am so tired Wilde…or I would think of some witty thing to say too!" The painted dog shot back playfully.

"I'm sorry you guys got stuck staying here," Judy said as her ears drooped slightly. Delta however wouldn't hear any of it.

"Oh hush now Hopps, we all bleed blue! You're our sister in arms and we all know you would do the same for us! Plus the overtime was killer! Westpaw says we get hazard on top of double!" Delta announced proudly. The tactical teams always did get taken care of when it came to pay. Judy's jaw hit the floor as she did the mental math. Delta and Atom may have just made the same amount she makes in a week in just one night.

"I'm in the wrong line of work!" Trisha announced playfully, "You all hiring?"

Delta chuckled while Atom beamed and made a series of hand signals, "She would make a good tactical officer? I agree Atom, mind you I would miss those 10-7 shirts!"

"Oh don't worry, I bet I look just as sexy in a tactical vest," Trisha said as she strolled over to the painted dog and gave him a seductive grin.

"Would you two want to join us for breakfast? Nick's buying!" Judy said playfully which caused the fox to cough.

"Rain check! Atom and I just had a quick snack. The manager here is a fan of the ZPD so he hooked us up with some coffee and the likes. Atom and I need to head home and rest up! Still lots to do!" Delta said firmly. Atom nodded his head and let out a long yawn, driving the point home the team was exhausted. Judy couldn't blame them. They had easily been working for 12-16 hours. The ZPD would have to approve a lot more overtime at this rate.

"Sounds good, thanks again boys!" Judy said as she walked over and gave Atom a hug. The lighter of the painted dogs began to wag his tail happily as he held Judy. The gray doe then looked over at Delta. She had a feeling he wasn't much of a hugger so she held out her paw. The canine grinned as he took her paw and then got down on a knee and pulled her into a hug. Judy was surprised but also very pleased at the action and nuzzled into the canine.

"Thanks for saving me!" She whispered softly and gave him the lightest peck on the cheek.

"Anytime Hopps!" Delta whispered back happily. The canine then stood up and nodded at Nick who gave the two a lazy salute and nod. His eyes though said it all. Nick was grateful to the two officers. They had kept him alive and focused while he searched for Judy. If it wasn't for them the story would have ended differently.

Before Delta and Atom left though Trisha pulled Atom into a quick hug. The painted dog was ecstatic about receiving so much affection. Trisha then turned her attention to Delta, a playful look in her bright blue eyes as she strolled over to him. The bunny made a motion for the canine to lower himself which he gladly did. She then reached up and pulled him down closer to her.

Trisha, having worked at the 10-7 and around officers, knew the rules and regulations. While in uniform Delta wasn't exactly allowed to show too much affection. A hug here and there was alright. What she wanted to do to the canine though would definitely be against the rules. The brown bunny kept herself in control though as she leaned up and planted her lips on Delta's cheek. Unlike Judy though she lingered for an extra second or two. Judy noticing the bright grin forming on the painted dogs face.

Trisha then whispered something into the officer's ear before pulling away and giving him a wink. The canine shook his head as he smirked down at the bunny, "Love me a trouble maker," He muttered and gave her a wink.

With that Atom and Delta excused themselves, allowing the rest of the mammals to head over to the restaurant for some food.

It didn't take long for Judy to spot her parents. Mainly because Tammy stood out and was waving her arms like mad. Judy was surprised to see the cheetah was still at the hotel but of course she also felt very grateful that someone was watching her parents.

"Morning sleepy head!" Tammy said playfully as Judy and the others approached.

"Morning Tammy, did you stay all night as well?" Judy asked as she gave both her parents a kiss on the cheek and a warm hug.

"Oh no, headed back after you passed out and got some rest. Since it's my day off I thought I would swing by and see your parents off! Only seemed proper!" Tammy explained happily as she reached for a glass of orange juice.

"It is very sweet of you Tammy but we didn't want to be any trouble," Bonnie explained as she patted Tammy's arm gently. The predator gave Bonnie a friendly smile and shook her head.

"No trouble at all Bonnie, in fact it has been a pleasure getting to know the famous Hopp's parents!"

"Did you all sleep well?" Bonnie asked, returning to her motherly duties to make sure her daughter was alright.

Judy blushed as she remembered how she had woken up. She also realized what she had just done with the brown doe sitting by her side. The whole situation felt very weird, having her parents so close to Trisha.

"Slept great! We had a little sleep over!" Trisha said playfully and gave Judy a wink, "No fox's allowed though! Don't worry Stu, Nick slept on the couch!"

"Good to hear," Stu muttered playfully. Little did he know Judy would have probably been safer with both Trisha and Nick on the couch. What her father didn't know wouldn't hurt him though.

"So sorry to hear you got stuck on the couch Nick!" Bonnie said kindly.

Nick brushed the comment aside though, "No worries Bon, I am used to far worse! That couch was very comfortable compared some of the other places I have had to rest my weary head!"

Nick reached over and poured himself a cup of coffee which he drank down quickly. Always needing a caffeine boost before attacking the day.

The rest of the table enjoyed a fresh pitcher of orange juice. Except for Tammy who joined Nick in his caffeine diet. The predators claiming they needed it because unlike bunnies they didn't run on sunshine and happiness.

"Also ample amount of booze!" Trisha said as she munched on some toast. Judy looked over at her friend nervously as she nodded in her parent's direction. Judy felt kind of awkward having these kinds of conversations with her parents present.

"I'm with her, sometimes I can't get up for harvest without a little help from my friend Jack," Stu teased as he raised a glass to Trisha. The brown doe grinned happily as she looked at Judy and then to Stu.

"Dad!" Judy blurted out as she looked at her father in disbelief.

"What? Cant a hard working rabbit enjoy a little pick me up?" Stu said defensively. "Plus I am not the only one, that bottle seems to go awfully quick these days, any idea how that is happening there Bon?"

Bonnie's cheeks warmed as she swatted at her husband's arm.

"Both of you?!"

"They are adults Carrots, think its ok!" Nick said as he winked at Judy from across the table.

"I can't believe this!" Judy announced.

"What I can't believe is how surprised you are there Hopps," Tammy teased.

Judy looked around the table as she realized she was out numbered.

"Don't worry Judy I got your back!" Trisha said playfully, "You should all be ashamed of yourself!" She said jokingly.

"Don't you work at a bar?" Nick asked Trisha with a wicked grin.

"Doesn't mean I get drunk all the time!" Trisha defended herself. The table fell silent as all eyes fell on Trisha. "Oh shut up I hate you all!" She laughed.

Judy joined in with the laughter from the rest of the table. Starting to feel at ease about the recent discovery with her parents. She did have to remember they were both adults and could make choices of their own. It was just weird hearing that her parents got a little tipsy from time to time.

"Says the girl dating a fox and making out with ladies in bars!" Judy's inner voice chimed in.

The rest of breakfast was rather uneventful. Tammy and Trisha joined efforts to try and get an embarrassing story out of the Hopps parents about Judy, but to no avail. They did however produce some rather embarrassing pictures on their phones from some old photo albums. Trisha loved the picture of Judy dressed up as a police bunny for her school pageant. She even managed to convince Bonnie to send it to her.

"Oh my gosh you were so adorable!" Trisha squealed as she received the text and looked at the image of Judy once more. Judy however was mortified and kept begging her parents to stop.

"This one is gonna go on the wall at work! Wait till everyone sees it!" Trisha announced.

"Don't you dare!" Judy shot at her friend, fire in her purple eyes.

Trisha however just grinned and munched on more toast. One of the problems with Trisha being so close to Judy is apparently she didn't fear the gray bunny of doom. Unlike the other mammals at the table.

Once breakfast was done Stu paid the bill. Tammy tried to insist on paying and so did Nick. Judy's father wouldn't allow it. Claiming that the ZPD had already paid for Judy's room, the least he could do was keep the meal perdium down.

"No point arguing with this one Bubbles," Nick said in a defeated tone as he nodded at Stu. "Thanks for the breakfast."

Tammy's eyes twitched at the mention of her nickname. The memory of being chased by Judy only to be caught and covered in soapy bubbles was the thing of nightmares.

Once everything was taken care off at the table the group slowly rose. All of them stuffed from the meal. Tammy excused herself to go use the powder room and said she would meet everyone back up at the room. The group entered the lobby once more just in time to see a strong tigress in a ZPD uniform enter. The lovely looking predator scanned the lobby, her eyes falling on nick as a toothy grin crossed her lips.

"Hey Foxy!" The officer shouted in a friendly manner as she strolled over.

"Hey Whiskers! What are you doing here?" Nick asked as he strolled over to greet the tigress. The two exchanged a friendly handshake. The tigress strong paws completely engulfing Nick's good paw.

"Was sent over to do an area check. See how officer Hopps was doing and also to drop something off for her!" The officer answered professionally.

"You have something for me?" Judy asked curiously.

"Yes ma'am, you gonna introduce me Foxy or have you forgotten your manners?"

"Oh sorry Whiskers!" Nick said before taking a step to the side so everyone had a chance to meet the officer.

"Everyone this is Officer Lylah Forrest, she was in the same class as me at the academy! Graduated allllllmost top of her class," Nick said with a sly grin.

"You aren't gonna let me live that down are you," Lylah asked as she gave the fox a quick glance.

"Not anytime soon that's for sure!" Nick said jokingly. He then went around the group and introduced everyone.

"This is my partner Judy Hopps"

Lylah gave Judy a big grin and elbowed Nick, "You are right, she is rather adorable!"

Nick's ears dropped as he realized just how much trouble having Judy and Lylah meet could be. He had spent a great deal of time at the academy with the tigress and they had grown close. He may have revealed one or two things about himself. Like how he had a rather adorable partner waiting for him at the ZPD.

Judy beamed as she put two and two together, realizing Nick had been talking about her while he was away. It was actually kinda cute and she felt her cheeks warm.

"Nice to meet you Lylah! I am sure we have lots to talk about when it comes to Nick and his academy time!" Judy said as she shook the tigresses out stretched paw.

"Yes we do!" Lylah said happily. Nick meanwhile had a paw on his forehead as he tried to think of a way out of this.

"This is Judy's parents," The fox continued with the introductions. "Stu and Bonnie Hopps!"

The Hopps smiled at Lylah who gave them a kind nod and a friendly smile. Judy was proud of her parents. They were handling all these new introductions so well. In a short time they had met so many preds that they would have never seen while in Bunny Burrows. She had a feeling they put on a strong face for Judy's sake, she was grateful all the same.

"And this little bundle of brown fluff is Trisha Ro-"

"Ah! Shush Nick! We know each other, no need for last names!" Trisha said as she waved her arms about. "How ya been Mo?"

Lylah chuckled, "I have been good! It's been a while! Need a drink sometime soon, will have to swing by and say hi!"

"Dear, what is your last name?" Bonnie asked sweetly as she took a step over to Trisha, "When we met last night you never gave it! I mean we love the casual sense of things but would also love to know the name of one of Judy's closest friends."

Trisha beamed at the words 'closest friend'. Her bright blue eyes going to Judy who nodded, confirming her mother's words. Trisha then took in a deep breath and lowered her ears. "It's Rose…my name is Trisha Rose..." She said as she looked at the ground in embarrassment.

Judy noticed Nick pull out his phone and look down at the screen. A confused look crossed his face as he looked up and over towards the restaurant. "I'll be right back, gotta check something." The fox muttered, as he passed Trisha he couldn't help but say, "Excuse me flowers"

"Ah! This is why I hate it! I am not a flower!" Trisha blurted out and pulled on her ears.

"Oh but it is such a lovely name sweetie!" bonnie said as she patted Trisha on the back.

"Lovely name for a lovely bunny!" Stu chimed in.

"Yes!" Lylah said, making some kissy lips, "It's so sweet!"

"Shut it Mo!"

"Mo?" Judy asked, wondering how Trisha got Mo from Lylah.

"It's my drink order, I always go for a mojito so she calls me Mo!" Lylah explained.

As the bunnies continued their conversation with the tigress Nick sauntered over to the restaurant. As he turned the corner a large spotted paw grabbed him and pulled him over.

"What the hell?! Bubbles what are you doing?" Nick asked in surprise.

"Who is that?!" Tammy asked quickly as she peaked around the corner and stared at Lylah.

"That's Officer Forrest, she is with the ZPD. Was in my class. You feeling okay Bubbles?" Nick asked as he rubbed his arm.

Tammy turned from looking at Lylah and put here large paws on the fox's shoulders. "You gotta introduce me!"

A sudden sly and knowing grin showed on Nick's face as he started to add things together. "So love at first sight huh?"

"Shut up!" Tammy said as blushed.

"You know you may actually be in luck. She had this thing for another class mate. Kinda sad that Zoe didn't feel the same way about Lylah!"

"Zoe?" Tammy asked anxiously.

"Yeah, nice female cheetah. Think she is over in Precinct 5." Nick said smugly, knowing full well this new knowledge would make Tammy's day.

"Female….cheetah?" Tammy asked in a dream like state.

"Has it really been that long?" Nick asked with a chuckle.

"You have no freaking idea!" Tammy groaned as she looked back at Lylah, hunger in her eyes.

Nick grabbed Tammy's paw and led her back around the corner. "Just act natural. Lylah may be a little straight forward, but she loves a mammal that can make her laugh!" Nick gave Tammy a quick pep talk as he lead the nervous cheetah back over to the rest of the mammals.

"Hopps is such a better last name!"

"Hippoty Hopps, Hopp a long Judy, Hopp away annoying bunny," Judy was listing a few of the names other mammals would tease her with.

"Rosy cheeks! Flowers! Thorny!" Trisha countered with some of the names she had heard.

"Sure that wasn't just Horn-" Judy began but stopped herself mid-sentence, remembering her parents were present. Trisha though had caught on and gave Judy the biggest of grins.

"Sorry about that!" Nick said as he strolled back into the conversation. Followed by Tammy who took a moment to brush her fur back.

"Lylah this is another officer from Precinct 1: Officer Tammy Thompson!"

"Call me Tammy," The cheetah said excitedly as she extended her paw out to Lylah who took it rather quickly.

"Nice to meet you Tammy! Hope we can work with one another soon! Real soon!" Lylah said with a bit of a sly wink. Tammy blushed as she did her best to hide her emotions. She tried her best not to get her hopes up but she couldn't help but feel that she had just been flirted with.

"Oh that's right!" Nick snapped his fingers, "You were sent to Precinct 3 on a temp assignment!"

"Yeah, they were shorthanded and asked for volunteers. As much as I wanted to go to #1 I wanted to make sure the team at #3 was strong and doing ok!" Lylah explained. This made sense as to why Judy hadn't met Lylah until now. Normally the top of the class would be sent to district 1 to assist at the headquarters. However every once and a while the need of another precinct would require officers to be sent over to help out. Judy had a little more respect for the tigress, having volunteered to help out her fellow officers like that.

"So when do you start at Precinct 1?" Tammy asked excitedly. Lylah's eyes darted over to Tammy and gave her a passionate stare.

"Started this morning actually. First assignment was to find Hopps and give her something!" Lylah said as she remembered her task. The tiger reached onto her belt and unclipped a rather small looking cellphone. The device was obviously made for smaller mammals.

Lylah handed the phone over to Judy who inspected it carefully. "It's a duty phone!" Judy explained as she turned on the screen. The ZPD shield and motto had been made the wallpaper. "That doesn't make sense though, these are normally given to supervisors..."

"Maybe they just wanted you to have a phone while yours is in evidence!" Tammy suggested.

"Yeah that must be it!" Judy said, as she examined the phone. It wasn't as nice as the one she had before but at least she now had a way of contacting her friends and staying in touch. She made a mental note to visit a local cell store to see if she could get a personal phone replacement. She had a feeling though that they didn't cover ZPD evidence in the replacement plan.

"Well now that I have finished that job I think I better report in! Don't want them thinking I can't deliver a phone in a timely manner," Lylah said playfully. She said her good byes and started to turn to leave. She stopped for a second and gave Tammy a little nod in the direction of the doors to the hotel. Tammy smirked.

"Let me walk you to your car!" The cheetah volunteered as she walked beside Lylah. The two then left the group who were all in a mild shock.

Judy walked over to Nick and looked up at him and then at the retreating felines.

"You see that?" Judy asked.

"Yeah"

Judy then slugged the fox in the arm, "That's how quick it should have been with us!"

Nick roared with laughter as he pulled his doe into a warm hug. Judy wanted to stay mad at him a little longer but as his scent filled her nostrils she calmed down. She gave him the gentles of nuzzles before pulling away. She would have been far more affectionate if it wasn't for her parents standing right there.

The rest of the early afternoon was spent packing up Stu and Bonnies things they had brought for the quick stay in the city. It didn't take very long at all since the pair had traveled light. Judy wished her parents could actually stay a little longer but knew that they had darted to the city in such a hurry that they needed to get home to take care of the family farm.

The group soon found themselves back in the lobby. Only this time in a less positive air. Judy was going to miss her parents but was also happy she had gotten the chance to see them. Even if it was because she had been mammal napped and they needed to come look after her. Bonnie was a little hesitant to leave so soon but Stu and Nick insisted that Judy would be in good paws. Judy was pleased to see Nick and her father not only getting along but working together to calm Bonnie's nerves.

"Alright well you promise to call if you need anything?" Bonnie asked as she hugged Judy for the tenth time.

"Yes mom!"

"And if you get into another shoot out?" Stu asked firmly.

"I will call you right away, but that is such a rare thing-" Judy tried to defend her actions but the look from her father made her stop talking. She gave her dad a hug and a kiss on the cheek instead.

"Next time Judy comes out to Bunny Burrow you have to come along!" Bonnie insisted as she gave Trisha a friendly hug. The brown doe smiled as she returned the embrace.

"Of course! I would love to! Thanks!" Trisha said happily.

"That goes double for you mister!" Bonnie said as she then wrapped Nick into a kind hug.

"When are blueberries in season again?" Nick asked playfully as he patted Bonnie on the back.

"Hey if you pick em you can eat em!" Stu said as he shook Nick's hand.

The Hopps then thanked Tammy for taking care of them and being such a marvelous guide during all this. The cheetah beamed and insisted she was only too happy to help. Bonnie warned the cheetah to look out for some farm goods in the near future as she fully intended to send a thank you basket. Tammy insisted it wasn't necessary but surrendered to the suggestion. Nick tried to claim any blueberries that may arrive but the cheetah pushed him aside.

As the Hopps loaded up into the truck Stu leaned out the window, "Oh by the way Jud, good luck on the apartment hunt! Can't wait to see what ya find!" With that Stu pulled into the mid-day traffic and drove away. Bonnie waving from the passenger window.

"Oh cheese and crackers I totally spaced about that!" Judy said as she put her paws on her cheeks.

"What? Can't you just live out of a suit case in a hotel forever?" Trisha asked playfully.

"I know I can!" Nick said as he raised his good arm.

"Yeah, Bogo said to get you a few nights, not a few years. Don't think the ZPD would like to cover a yearlong rent, especially at this place" Tammy said hesitantly. "Good thing you got a fox who I am sure would be happy to take you in!"

Nick glared over at Tammy as the cheetah gave him a sly wink. He then looked at Judy with a warm smile, "I guess we can make that work. I mean I don't necessarily live in the ritziest of places..."

Judy sigh and shook her head. Her ears drooping.

"Nick," She began sadly, "I would love that I really would but…." She then thought of her parents. "Mom and Dad have been so accepting of everything between you and me…but to move in this soon? I don't think they would be fans. And not because you are a fox!"

"Because I am the boyfriend?" Nick asked.

Judy's eyes went wide as her partner…no…boyfriend. Used that word. She slowly looked up at Nick, a dumb grin on her face.

"Could….could you say that again?" She asked in a dreamlike state.

"I am your boyfriend." Nick whispered as he leaned down and gave Judy a peck on the lips.

Tammy started making a gagging noise while Trisha giggled and began to rub her cheeks, "it's so cute it's gross!" The brown doe cheered.

"So what do we do about an apartment? I mean I could start searching for a new one. But it's gonna be small. I could try and find a roommate but I don't know anyone who is looking! Plus they would have to be a mammal close to my size..." Judy began to list off the requirements. Her voice growing shaky as she realized the challenge she had ahead of her.

"Soo, umm, here is a thought," Trisha said as she brushed one of her feet against the ground. Judy and Nick paused their current conversation and looked over at the brown doe. "My lease is up at the end of the month. Was thinking of renewing it, but the place is a dump and I have been wanting to move out for a while now. Haven't found a roommate I trust yet. I mean no pressure. I can always renew at my place" Trisha suggested. Judy was surprised how nervous the bunny looked, it was kinda cute.

"Are you asking me to move in with you?" Judy asked excitedly as her eyes brightened.

"Oh gosh! This just screams trouble!" Nick groaned playfully.

Trisha glared at Nick and stuck out her tongue. She then looked back at Judy.

"It's okay to say no, I understand if you have oth-" Trisha was caught off guard as Judy pulled the brown bunny into a hug.

"I'm gonna have the best roommate ever!" Judy cheered as she nuzzled her cheek against Trisha's, causing the brown doe to let out a soft purr.

"Do I get a say in this?" Nick asked playfully.

"No, but you might get a key!" Trisha said happily as she enjoyed her attention from Judy.

"Great..."

"Might as well admit it to yourself now," Tammy began as she looked down at Nick, "You are the third wheel here!"

"You have no idea!" Nick grumbled. He was a little apprehensive about the situation but understood where Judy was coming from. The fact that Stu and Bonnie were ok with Judy and Nick dating was one thing. To ask them to be okay with Judy moving in with Nick this soon was something else completely.

"We can start looking right away! Will be so much easier finding a two bed room!" Judy began to plan out excitedly as she let Trisha go.

"Naw, think we can deal with just one bed!" Trisha said with a wink, this time it was Judy's turn to blush. "Mind you it's gonna be awkward if you two start getting freaky at night, oh well sharing is caring right?"

Everyone froze at Trisha's suggestion. The brown bunny gave them al a confident smirk as if to say "I know what I said!"

Nick was the first to start laughing as he grabbed his side. Tammy and Judy joined in not long after.

"Keep laughing! Bet I can make that fox howl!" Trisha said playfully.

Judy gave Trisha an evil look. The brown bunny winked and then stuck her tongue out.

"Anyways, we can start looking right away! Maybe there is something online!" Judy returned to planning things out.

"How about this! I need to go home to clean up and change. While I am there I will find some places close to the ZPD and 10-7. You text me the other requirements and I will make a list for us to go check out after you and Nick are done," Trisha suggested as she pulled her phone out and began to type away at the screen. "Tammy you mind giving me a ride?"

"Not at all, would be happy to!" Tammy said kindly.

"Wait, what will Nick and I be busy with though?" Judy asked innocently as she tilted her head, causing her ears to flop to one side.

Trisha looked up from her phone over at Judy. She then eyed Nick. "Well I just thought, you know," Trisha trailed off as she eyed both Nick and Judy. Hoping that the hint would be enough.

"Oh no! Let's hear it!" Nick said, knowing full well how embarrassing the conversation was about to get. Nick must have a short memory to forget which brown bunny he was talking to. Trisha put both her paws on her hips and smiled suggestively.

"You two haven't been alone since Judy's rescue, her parents just left, and you have a massive hotel room with many different surfaces to fuck on! Do the math!" Trisha said bluntly.

Red? Crimson? Ruby? None of these words could probably describe the color of blush that was now burning on Judy's cheeks as she stared wide eyed at Trisha.

"I have heard Bunnies were great at multiplying," Nick teased, reminding Judy of the first time they had met and what she had suggested.

"Never thought I would see a scarlet bunny," Tammy said as she looked at Judy who was starting to change all sorts of embarrassed colors.

"We will leave you two to it then," Trisha said as she skipped over to Judy and gave her friend a kiss on the cheek. She then walked over to Nick and gave him a hug around the waist. Just before she left however she leaned up and whispered into the fox's ear. Judy's ears twitched as she picked up Trisha's talk with Nick.

"Get me some pics and you never have to pay for a drink at the 10-7 again!"

Judy's nostrils flared as she picked up the words.

Nick chuckled as he nodded over in Judy's direction.

Trisha gave Judy a weak smile, "Can you blame a girl for trying?"

Trisha and Tammy excused themselves not long after. Leaving Judy and Nick standing on the steps of the hotel. Judy looked up into Nick's bright green eyes as her own filled with want.

"Soooo," Nick began to speak.

Judy grabbed his collar and pulled him down, pressing her lips to his. A few passing mammals looked at the sight with confusion. To see a bunny and fox kiss was still an incredibly rare sight. Judy ignored the surrounding mammals as she let Nick go.

"You know Trisha is right," Judy whispered playfully.

"About?"

"There are a lot of surfaces to have fun on in the hotel room we now have to ourselves," Judy whispered suggestively as she bit her lower lip.

"Or we could just sit on the couch and watch TV?" Nick said playfully.

"Sure Nick, Tv," Judy said softly. Knowing that it would be better to just let him think that.

'Once he is in that room we can have our way with him' Judy's inner voice suggested.

Judy grabbed Nicks paw and practically ran back into the lobby and towards the elevators. Trisha had been right. Nick and Judy hadn't had a moment in private since her rescue. Now that they were alone she fully intend to show him just how good at multiplying she could be.

* * *

 **Special thanks to _Fox in the hen house_ for the use of his character Lylah. Also for those of you loving the last few lines from the last chapter, yeah that was his goofy humor! Thanks bud for the help.**

 **For all the folks who had problems with the ending to the last chapter: 38 _Figuring out us_. A second ending was added. Scroll down and you will fine two sets of line breaks. Your ending is after the second one. It is labeled. I hope we can put this problem to rest. I will post another note about this in the next chapter as well. **


	40. It is a hotel room, so why knot?

It is a hotel room, so why knot? *chapter contains explicit material. M rated! Read with caution*

Judy didn't know who maintained the elevators at this particular hotel but she had every intention of giving them a parking ticket if she ever found out who they were. The ride back up to the hotel room as so painfully slow for her. Maybe it was because she was excited. Or maybe it was because she was anxious. Or maybe it was because it was actually going at a snail's pace?!

Whatever the reason the doe stood in the elevator as she tapped her foot impatiently. She glared at the slow moving numbers that indicated the elevators current floor. Willing the little dial to move faster.

Nick meanwhile enjoyed watching Judy. The way her nostrils flared, how her ears had fallen behind her head, and the way those bright purple eyes of hers were filled with a fire. What was equally amusing was the fact that Nick and Judy were not alone in the elevator. A zebra in a business suit was standing towards the back of the compact room. He was reading something on his phone but Nick could tell how the mammal looked up every second or so to check if what he was seeing was correct and not his eyes playing tricks.

"That's right, a fox is holding this beautiful bunny's paw," Nick thought to himself as he looked back and nodded at the business mammal who gave him an indifferent nod in return.

The fact that the zebra was in the small compartment with them was another thing to add to Judy's list of why she hated the universe at that moment. Had the zebra not been present this ride would have been far more enjoyable.

There was a loud chime in the elevator as they arrived on Nick and Judy's floor. Nick felt he was in some kind of marathon as Judy dashed from the elevator and dragged the fox along. There was no hiding the fact that she wanted to get to their hotel room and fast.

Judy was starting to sweat from the anxiety raging inside of her. She had to get Nick alone and soon. Her mind was racing with different ideas and different positions.

'Maybe you two can try that one you saw online! Where he ties you up, blindfolds you, and uses you like a fles-'

"Yes! We will be doing that and so much more!" Judy thought to herself, not letting the voice finish. She was going so crazy she was even interrupting her own mind.

Nick took a step back and watched as a very flustered bunny tried to insert her room key into the door. It took 3 very amusing attempts to just get the card into the door. Then she pulled it out too quickly, causing a small red light to blink.

Judy growled as she tried again, this time she inserted the card wrong. The mocking red light flashing at her.

Nick let out a soft chuckle but then froze in fear as Judy turned to glare at him. How could something so angry look so sexy at the same time?

Judy finally managed to get the door open. She pushed with such force it looked like she was trying to perform a breeching action. The door slammed behind the two. Judy turned to Nick and lowered herself to the ground as she prepared to pounce on her fox.

Judy didn't have a chance though as she was suddenly scooped up by her fox. Nick pressed his muzzle to Judy's lips as he gave her an intense kiss. The gray bunny instinctively wrapped her arms around Nick's neck as she tilted her head to the side.

As she wrapped her strong legs around her Fox's waist she felt Nick begin to move into the hotel room. His legs carrying the couple towards the TV and couch area of the suite.

Nick slowly pulled away from Judy's lips, causing her to let out a disappointed gasp. Hating the fact the kiss had ended. Nick however had no intention of disappointing his bunny. The fox began to gently kiss at Judy's neck which earned him a soft purr from the doe.

"Mmmm, hello," Judy moaned as she raised her head slightly, allowing Nick better access to her neck.

The fox took advantage of this and began to open his maw slightly, allowing his canines to drag against his skin. Judy let out a surprised gasp. All of these new feelings happening at once, it was amazing!

'Let's see what other new feelings we can get out of him!' Judy's inner voice suggested. The gray doe bit her lower lip, agreeing with the voices in her mind.

When the couple had finally reached their destination Nick slowly laid Judy on the couch as he climbed over her. There was something so carnal about the actions that it drove Judy wild. She reached up and pulled Nick back into a warm kiss which quickly intensified.

Her lips parted, inviting the fox to join her. Nick slid his tongue into Judy's mouth and their tongues intertwined in a passionate dance.

Once satisfied that her fox wouldn't go anywhere she began to slide her paws down his shirt. Their destination blatantly obvious. To her surprise though Nick grabbed her wrist with his good paw and stopped her descent. As their mouths continued to press against one another Judy couldn't speak, instead she let out a soft moan, the pitch making it clear she was upset.

Nick let out a soft growl which quickly shut Judy up. She felt a shiver roll down her spine as she listened to the savage noises coming from Nick. She had hoped this was some kind of signal and she began her descent once more. Nick however stopped her wandering paws.

'What the fuck?!' Judy's inner voice screamed in her mind. She felt herself starting to lose control. She wanted to go so much farther, she needed to. The fact that he had been leading her on for so long had caused so many different emotions to bottle up, now when they were so close he was denying her a release. It wasn't fair!

Judy pulled away from Nick's lips and tried to look up at him. The fox however attacked her neck once more, running his teeth over her fur.

"Nick?" Judy groaned as she arched her back slightly, trying to grind against the fox to get the point across.

The fox ignored her as he continued to pay attention to her neck.

"Oh god if he keeps this up I am gonna explode!" She thought to herself.

"Nick!" Judy said slightly louder, trying to get her fox's attention.

Judy growled as she finally lost it. Her training kicked in. She hooked one of her strong legs around the fox's so he couldn't gain balance. She then held onto his arm while she thrusted up, aiming for the edge of the couch. The technique worked and it caused the fox to roll off the couch. Nick opened his eyes and let out a surprised yelp as he fell from the furniture.

Judy followed the predator off the couch and landed on top of him. Before Nick could regain control Judy punned his good arm to the floor while her other paw pressed against the fox's shoulder. She straddled the vulpine waist and began to slowly grind herself against his body.

"That is better!" Judy said with a passion in her bright purple eyes.

Nick had a nervous look about him, a pleased look, but still very nervous.

"What is it Nick?" Judy asked with mild concern as she continued to grind against the predator. Something was starting to stir down south. Judy could feel Nick beginning to swell which caused her to give the fox a smug smirk.

"Well, don't you think we are- "

"I swear to the gods if you say we are moving too fast I will knock you out and have my way with you!" Judy barked as she lowered her head so she was just an inch from the fox's muzzle. She took in a deep breath as his intoxicating aroma filled her nostrils. Something about his scent just made her want to go wild.

"It just feels…like- "

"Like what?" Judy asked as she started to slow her grinding against the fox. She tiled her head as her ears raised in curiosity.

"Like I am taking advantage of you!" Nick admitted as he looked right into Judy's eyes.

"That has got to be the dumbest thing-"

"Night howlers!" Nick blurted out as he tilted his head slightly. "How do we know this isn't the night howlers? I don't want to be taking advantage of…what are you doing?"

While Nick began to explain his hesitancy to all this Judy began to unbutton her shirt. The fox's eyes went wide as he raised an arm to stop Judy. She swatted his paw away from her with ease. She couldn't help but notice how quickly he gave up this fight. The pair remained silent as Judy undid every button of her shirt. She then parted the fabric just slightly enough so Nick could see she had neglected to put on a bra that morning. She kept the shirt covering her breasts but the fox could clearly see the round figure of Judy's chest.

"You were saying?" She asked as her eye lids drooped. She slowly leaned down and pressed herself against his body. Nick let his head fall back as a war began to rage in his mind.

"This is so cruel!" Nick groaned as he put his paw over his eyes, trying to pretend he wasn't stuck in this situation. Not that he didn't mind. In fact he loved this situation, at least the growing mass in his pants did. It just felt odd. The voices of Judy's doctors echoed in the fox's mind. All of them explaining that the night howler inside Judy could cause changes in her mood, along with certain other aspects.

"No, what is cruel is the fact your still dressed," Judy whispered seductively into the vulpine's ear before giving him a kiss on the cheek. Judy continued to rub her body against Nick as she tried to convince him to give in to his urges.

Judy had to admit it was somewhat noble of Nick and had this been any other situation it would have been sweet. This however was something she wanted and now the only mammal in the way was the fox.

"Listen Judy we just need to..." Nick started to say as he looked back at his partner. His words trailed off however. While Nick's attention had been focused elsewhere Judy had sneakily removed her shirt. Her upper body was completely exposed. He hadn't had a chance to exactly see her front just yet though as she was still pressed against him. The sight of the fur on her bare back though caused his mouth to fall open. Judy looked over her shoulder down her back and to her tail. She grinned as she flicked the tuft of fur that was poking out of her pants.

"Oh that's not fair!" Nick said as he watched Judy's tail twitch once more.

"Why are you stopping this Nick?" Judy asked as she widened her eyes and began to give the tortured fox all the curtness look she could muster.

"I honestly don't know Carrots! Trust me if it weren't for the Night…" For the second time the fox's sentence was cut short. Judy chose that moment to slowly rise and sit straight up on the fox's lap. Her bare chest now fully exposed to him.

The predator fell silent as his eyes unashamedly went right to Judy's perky breasts. She blushed at the attention but puffed her chest out slightly. She reached down and grabbed Nick's paw. She then slowly guided the black fur up her body, across her stomach, until Nick was just an inch from groping Judy's chest.

"Who said this was the night howlers?" Judy asked playfully. Teasing the fox as she held his paw just below their goal. She could feel the fox's paw want to move up.

"Ever since you got hit it's been like this!" Nick pointed out.

Judy shook her head, causing her ears to sway slightly. This too drove Nick up the wall. Judy rose up suddenly as she felt something between her legs pulse. Nick was obviously enjoying the show. He just needed a little reminder to enjoy himself.

"No it hasn't!" Judy said confidently. "I have wanted this for a while slick!"

"Since when?" Nick asked, needing some convincing.

"Don't you remember when this all started?" Judy asked as she began to squeeze Nick's paw. "Before Mel's shop, before the hospital, before we got assigned this stupid case!"

"You aren't talking about that dream you had are you?" Nick asked with a laugh.

"It's the spark that started all this!" Judy admitted.

"Are you sure my devilishly good looks aren't what started this?" Nick asked as his wiggled his eyes brow.

"Oh gosh, let me just put my shirt back on!" Judy said as she looked around for her top jokingly.

"Wait!" Nick blurted out as he suddenly slid his paw up. Maybe it was an accident or maybe he had really meant to do it. Whatever the cause the result was amazing. Judy began to shiver as she felt her breast being held by Nick. The fact that it was him made it that much more amazing.

"Nick!" She moaned as she fell forward onto his chest. Nick pulled his paw away nervously. "You touched my boob!"

"Carrots! I can explain!"

"Do it again!" Judy growled as she looked right into his eyes.

The confidence was right there. A flag waving in front of the fox reminding him one of the reasons he cared so much for this bunny. Her confidence, kindness, body, that ass, her tail….wait...Getting side tracked.

"Fuck it," Nick said with a shrug. Judy looked slightly confused but was pleasantly surprised when Nick leaned up and pressed his lips against Judy's. While his mouth began to give her lips attention he slowly slid a paw up her body and towards her chest. This time there was no stopping as the vulpine began to grope at his bunnies breasts.

Judy let out a series of happy gasps whenever their lips parted for a second. The attention from her fox caused a wave of arousal to crash over her. She began to grind against him, his pants growing tighter and tighter as she hit all the right spots. Nick wrapped his casted arm around Judy's waist and held her close as they continued to share a rather heated kiss. Neither of them wanting to let the other take too much control, the battle raged on passionately as Judy slid to one side of Nick.

The fox was slightly confused as to why the bunny wanted to slide off him, they were both apparently enjoying the grinding. The reason though soon became clear. While one paw wrapped around Nick's neck the other began to tug at his belt. Nick pulled away slightly which got him an earful from his bunny.

"Hey! Don't you stop me! You get to be groping me and I don't get anything! I wasn't gonna take it out! I just want to feel it in my paws! This is no fair! Why do you get to play with me huh?" The words shot out like a machine gun. Nick however looked at Judy with a sly smile. He then let go of Judy's chest, reached down, and undid his belt for her.

Judy looked down and then back at Nick, her mouth hanging open. "I have given up on stopping you at this point. But you looked like you needed help. You suck at buckles!"

"I'll suck your buckle!" Judy thought to herself causing her cheeks to turn a bright red. Judy suddenly felt very timid as she looked down at Nick's waist. The belt was undone and all she had to do was slide her paw under.

"Well? Thought you wanted to play too!" Nick said as he leaned over and pressed his lips against Judy's cheeks.

Judy had an evil smirk on her lips. He was right! So why wait?

She quickly slid her gray paw down, under Nick's pants, and right onto the OH MY GOD.

Judy's eyes went wide as she realized what she was now holding in her paw. Images flashed in her mind. The day she had met Nick, their first case, his graduation day, and finally the day they had been assigned as partners together. This was the very same mammal who was now gripped in her paws. The feeling sent a shiver through her as she realized just how close they had become.

"You okay Carrots?" Nick asked as he looked at the shocked doe. Pleased with the expression she was making.

"What?" She asked as she wrapped her digits around Nick's member and started to guide her paw up and down.

"I'll take that as a yes!" Nick said as he watched Judy's expression. Judy closed her eyes as she began to imagine what it must feel like to have something like this inside her. Being a fox Nick was naturally taller and bigger than her. His fox hood was designed for vixens which were a lot bigger than Judy. Had Judy been with a bunny the size wouldn't be a problem. Not to say that this was a problem, but she was very confident that it would be a challenge.

"How..."Judy trailed off as she continued to stroke Nick. She looked down at his pants and then back up at the fox.

"How what?" Nick asked playfully. Enjoying the nervous look on Judy's face.

"How is this gonna work?" Judy asked as she wiggled the skin in her paw. Nick let out a soft moan and tilted his head back slightly.

"Guess we will just have to find out sometime," Nick said teasingly as he gave Judy a gently kiss on the forehead.

"Yeah…"Judy said as she continued to rub Nick. An evil thought crossed her mind as she let go of the fox and looked up at him. "Now is good!"

"Wait, what?!" Nick blurted out. He looked down at the doe who quickly stood up. Thinking quickly Judy pressed one of her strong feet against Nick's shoulder as she towered over him. Nick tried to get up but the doe's strong legs pressed against him with such force he got the picture. Stand up and he would be knocked out.

Judy undid the buttons on her jeans, never needing a belt since they fit snuggly against her slender figure, and slowly unzipped.

Nick watched Judy and something carnal flashed in his eyes. Judy was pleased when she saw his paw move down and undo his own belt and zipper, making things a little easier for when the doe finally finished her own stripping.

Judy grabbed the waistline of her pants and quickly slid them down. Deciding to go for speed instead of a sexy slide. Nick chuckled as he noticed how quickly the bunny was moving. His hesitancy to the whole situation had vanished as he looked into the bright purple eyes of his partner.

Once completely naked Judy got back on top of her fox and straddled his legs so she could reach down. Since she was moving so quickly she managed to pull the fox's pants off rather quick. Paying attention to the article of clothing as she tossed it aside. She then looked back at Nick and her eyes widened. Feeling it had been one thing but seeing Nick and all his glory was something completely different. Judy felt her legs tremble as her ears raised.

"Oh cheese and crackers…"She whispered as she just stared at the now erect mass in front of her.

"You know we can just-" Nick began but Judy glared at the fox. They had come this far and if he dared suggest stopping she would most likely kill him and have her way with his corpse.

Judy jumped up and landed on Nick's lap. She pressed down against Nick's unsheathed member and began to grind against it as she pressed it down. Judy bit her lower lip and closed her eyes as she continued to slide against Nick. Though he had not entered her yet the feeling was amazing. His raw skin rubbing against her folds started to drive something inside her mad. She felt herself growing wetter between her legs, she had already been somewhat aroused so she could have taken Nick already, but this feeling caused her to become slightly more ready to receive the fox.

Nick looked up and watched Judy as she put her paws on his stomach and began to gasp in anticipation. Her ears fell back behind her head and her eyes shut.

"Okay, we got this..."She muttered out loud. Nick put his paw to his mouth as he felt a laugh coming on. He muffled the noise though out of fear. Fear that Judy would get angry but also fear that it may ruin the mood. Judy may have been the one to start this but now he wanted to see it finished.

Judy sat up slightly and reached down. Nick watched in mild amusement as Judy closed her eyes and prepared herself. Nick thought their first time would be a little different but he then realized that this was actually how it should go. First times were always some passionate affair they saw in movies. It wasn't some kind of heat filled moment where everything just slid in and clicked. No this was more like it.

Judy angled herself so her opening was pressed against Nick's member, his tip just barely penetrating past her mound. The doe then took a deep breath and pushed herself down. Nick waited for her to stop, having a feeling she would need a second. Judy however was full of surprises. She began to wince and breathe heavily but never stopped. She continued to just slide down.

"What the hell Carrots?!" Nick thought as he watched his doe slide all the way down. Her mouth opened wide in a gasp as she took her fox in. Judy stopped just at the top of a swollen mass that was Nick's knot. The fox looked at his doe in an impressed manner. This was the famous Judy Hopps after all so she could take anything.

Nick began to move but Judy waved her arms about and shook her head. She leaned forward and placed a paw on Nick's shoulder, signaling him to stop his movement.

He wanted to ask if she was okay so badly but he knew he wouldn't get the truth. This was her first time with him, it may have even been her first time ever! This might have been a slightly painful experience. The two mammals remained still for a short while. Nick looking up at his bunny who shook every second or so.

Then to his surprise Judy began to rise and fall. A steady rhythm starting to show as Judy would slowly rise up only to stop and slide back down.

"Oooooohhhhhh..."Escaped her lips as she began to pick up the pace.

"How is she even taking it like this?!" Nick began to question in his mind. He was starting to wonder if maybe he wasn't exactly as big as he thought. Judy must have read his mind though.

"Oh gosh…it barely fits!" Judy groaned and let out a giggle, "It's so good though..."

"Not hurting to much?" Nick asked calmly as he put his good paw on her waist. Cursing his cast as he felt he needed both paws at that moment.

"Oh it hurts!" Judy groaned as she arched her back slightly. Nick felt a little guilty when he heard Judy's response. "It hurts so good!"

Okay, maybe he didn't feel too bad.

"Mmmm, Nick," Judy moaned as she ran a paw over Nick's chest. The fox smiling up at Judy as she finally opened her eyes. Her purple orbs shimmering in pleasure. She was so beautiful. The way her ears fell, how her eyes shined, that cute smile of hers, she looked so very innocent. "So when do I get knotted?"

Okay, maybe not so innocent.

Nick began to laugh, "And how the hell do you now about that?"

"Internet!" Judy said triumphantly.

"So you have been looking up fox porn or something?"

Judy just nodded and smirked.

"How did you even find any?"

"Trisha!" Judy said happily as she leaned down and gave her fox a peck on the cheek. She then let out a soft gasp as she slid herself back down on Nick.

"That doe, I swear," Nick grumbled.

"Watch it! She and I have chatted, it's thanks to her that I know so much about…this stuff!" Judy admitted as she continued to ride up and down. Her words sounding slightly strained due to the pleasure she was trying to conceal.

"Well going back to that knot bit, I don't think you are ready…"Nick knew the words were the wrong ones as soon as he said them. Judy suddenly had a look of determination on her face as she stared at her fox. She then sat up and looked between her legs. She could see Nick swelling up and slowly pushed herself against him. There was a great deal of resistance.

"Judy!" Nick blurted out but got another scathing look from his doe as she tried to force herself down. It wasn't exactly working, especially since she was the only one putting effort into it.

Judy growled as she continued to force herself down. Nick watched as a few shots of pleasure began to fill him. He wasn't sure if it was from watching Judy try so hard to get herself knotted or his own carnal instincts taking over. Whatever it was he began to wonder if it would be such a bad thing to take her like that.

Nick felt his own hips begin to grind against Judy as he thrusted upwards. He watched as his partner began to bounce along to his movements. She fell forward and put both paws on his chest, beginning to whimper in pleasure.

To see the famous Judy Hopps curled up like this. Her lips trembling as she gasped for air was very arousing. Nick began to think about how the bravest and toughest mammal he knew was now putty in his paws. Whatever he wanted to do he could. She obviously had no plan to stop him.

As the two continued their carnal dance against one another bodies Judy felt herself reaching a climax so intense she had to put her paws to her mouth and she practically screamed. Her body gave way and she felt her muscles relax as the torrent of pleasure poured out of her.

That is what did it for Nick. Listening to Judy's sharp gasps as she dug her digits into his chest awoken something inside of him. He had to mate with her, he had to please her, and he had to knot her. Nick suddenly pulled himself out of Judy and pushed her to the side. This time it was Judy's turn to let out a surprised yelp. She was about to yell at Nick for the sudden action. The sudden denial of pleasure was driving her mad.

Before she could even sit up though Nick was upon her. The predator towered over his prey and let out a growl from deep in his throat. It wasn't meant to scare Judy but to tell her what was about to happen. Judy's eyes went wide and showed a hint of fear which was soon replaced with an impatience.

'This is exactly what you wanted wasn't it?' Her inner voice teased.

"Oh fuck yea," Judy let out in a whisper as Nick lowered himself to Judy. The gray doe reached up and wrapped her arms around Nick's neck as she pulled him into a rather sloppy kiss. Nick meanwhile positioned himself just about Judy's entrance. The fox pulled away and stared right into his prey's eyes as he prodded against her folds.

Judy bit her lip and began to nod rapidly. Practically begging Nick to proceed. He didn't need much more of a hint. With a rather quick thrust Nick was happily back inside of Judy. The bunny arching her back and groaning loudly.

Having already gotten riled up from before it didn't take long for Nick to recognize a familiar feeling beginning to grow inside. He was close. He began to feel a dilemma of sorts. On one hand this was his and Judy's first time so taking it slow was a priority to him. The fox had to remind himself that's not how Judy operated.

Nick decided to go with his own urges as he continued to slam into the small bunny beneath him. He took a breath and pressed against Judy's entrance. He felt her start to stretch out for him. Judy's eyes bulged as she gasped for air. She reached up and grabbed onto Nick. He started to stop but she berated him.

"Don't you dare stop! I want it! Knot me!" She practically screamed, he had a feeling they would get a phone call about that one.

Nick continued and felt himself finally pop inside of Judy who let out the happiest of moans. Seconds later Nick felt himself swell up and finish. His fox hood pouring generous amounts of seed inside Judy.

"Oh Nick…that was awesome..." Judy groaned as the fox fell on top of the bunny. Judy wrapped her paws around Nick and pulled him close, enjoying the warm feel of his fur.

"So how long do we get to stay like this?" Judy whispered.

"No idea…"Nick moaned as he felt Judy wiggle around with him inside.

"That's fine…"Judy whispered as she began to run her paws through the fur on Nick's head. Rubbing his ears gently. "Just tell me when you're ready for round 2…"

"Round 2?!" Nick blurted out as he rose up slightly to look at his bunny.

"Don't you remember?" Judy asked playfully as she looked directly into Nick's eyes. "We bunnies are great at multiplying!"

"Can't we just take it slow?" Nick asked in an exhausted way.

Judy looked down her naked body and towards Nick who was still inside her. She then looked back up at her fox and smirked.

"You know what I meant! This isn't how fox's operate!" Nick pointed out.

"Fuck how fox's operate!" Judy said as she reached up and pulled Nick down so his face was pressed against Judy's. "Screw what other mammals say! I don't care! I don't care if they say we are going too fast or too slow! I know what I want! It's you Nick! Plain and simple! Can you handle that?"

"The night howlers?" Nick asked as his eye lids drooped.

"A little bit, yeah..."Judy said as her tone softened.

"Don't be! That was kinda a turn on!" Nick pointed out.

"Really?" Judy said with a slight blush.

"Plus you are right," Nick said softly as he gave Judy a gentle kiss on the lips, "I guess I have been just a little preoccupied on how I am supposed to act. Kinda forgot how I wanted to act!"

"Oh gosh that was so cheesy!" Judy giggled but smiled all the same.

"Dumb bunny," Nick said as he shook his head.

"My fox…"Judy whispered, her eyes shimmering.

Nick nodded and leaned in, giving his bunny a passionate kiss.

Judy suddenly pulled away and grinned, "But seriously round 2!"

* * *

 **Woot! They finally got there! I know things are now moving quickly. I mean they just started dating and all but hey! Who am I to get in the way of what Judy wants! :P**

 **A reminder for all those WildeHopps purists. Chapter 38 has a new ending of sorts to calm your minds. There are two endings. One for me and one for you. Read which ever you like and enjoy.**

 **I hope this chapter finally (why I have to keep saying this is beyond me) puts you all at ease as to the relationship of Nick and Judy.**

 **Oh and since so much talk has been going around about Trisha and Judy I decided to write a new story!**

 _ **A Bar, A Bunny, A Bond**_ **. Is now posted. For those of you who really enjoyed the whole Judy x Trisha vibe you should go and check this out! The rest of you can hang here and keep reading NH.**

 **On another note I am returning to work soon after this very long medical leave. I miss my team and my partner and cant wait to get back to work! Never thought I would say that! Thank you all again for the support during this rather odd time in my life! I appreciate it!**

 **For those of you with questions please feel free to message me!**

 **-Blue**


	41. A New Place!

A New Place.

Judy was breathing heavy as her body continued to rise and fall. The feelings running through her were joy, exhilaration, and happiness. She rolled over and smiled at Trisha who had her eyes closed. The brown doe rising up and down as she began to giggle. Judy was so happy to have a friend like Trisha. Especially right now, in this bed, with her. Trisha opened her eyes and looked over at Judy, a pleased smile on her face.

"That was amazing," Trisha said as her chest rose and fell, her lungs filling with air.

Judy just nodded and looked into those beautiful bright blue eyes of Trisha's. "Ready for round 2?"

Trisha's eyes went wide, "You can go for more?!"

Judy giggled, "Oh yeah!"

The gray doe then sat up and looked at the front of Finnick's van. "Again!" Judy shouted at the two predators sitting at the front of the vehicle.

Nick looked back at the two does that were sprawled out on the water bed Finnick had placed in the back of his vehicular abode. The fox began to chuckle as he looked over at the driver of the van.

"You heard the ladies!"

"Fuck you Wilde!" Finnick growled as he continued to drive the van through the cities traffic. They had recently gone over a rather steep bridge which ended with a sharp turn. This had caused the water bed in the back to slosh around. The two does laying on it were tossed about like rag dolls. Trisha said it felt like being in a bounce house.

Judy didn't say it was like anything, she was too busy laughing and enjoying herself.

"Aww come on buddy, it's not often a fox gets a chance to please two does at once," Nick said as he nudged his friend in the arm.

"I aint into that kind of stuff Wilde, you know that," The small fox growled as he glared at his former partner in crime.

"I don't know," Nick looked over at Judy and Trisha as they giggled on the water bed, "Bet some mammals would enjoy it!"

"Some mammals like you?" Finnick asked in his low voice as he eyed the fox sitting next to him.

Nick burst out laughing, "Yeah, not my kind of thing. Plus don't say that too loud, the last thing I need is Trisha hearing that kind of idea!"

Trisha sat up in the water bed which sloshed around. Her eyes staring directly at Nick. "You say something?"

"Nope!" Nick shot back quickly. Realizing his weak smile gave him away.

Judy sat up in the water bed as well next to her friend. Nick looked at the pair of smiling does. The way they held hands, how they sat close, how their smiles brightened around one another. Nick had to admit even though he had been a little nervous with Trisha's relationship with Judy, the brown bunny managed to bring out a more playful and happy side to Judy. Even though he was now Judy's boyfriend, he realized just how important Trisha had become to Judy and how important she was also to him.

"Oh I know that look," Judy said slyly as she crawled up towards the front of the van carefully.

"Shouldn't you remain seated while the vehicle is in motion?" Nick asked playfully. This did not deter the bunny who looked as if she were stalking some prey.

"Just like a cop to ignore the law," Finnick joked. Looking over his shoulder at Judy.

Judy winked at Finnick and then went back to staring at Nick, a rather seductive look in her eyes.

After the missing mammals case Nick had gone off to join the ZPD, leaving his partner in many hustles for a more on the level type of career. Nick had offered on several occasions to use some contacts to help Finnick find work. He felt rather bad for leaving the small fox behind.

As it turns out Finnick was smarter than he looked. He had seen the writing on the wall, the way Nick acted around Judy, how he started to clean up his act. Not to be out done or left to the wayside Finnick pursued some contacts he had made through the years.

He had managed to secure a job somewhere in the main business district of Zootopia. Nick had found this out while on patrol one day. Spotting the fennec fox in a business suit. Bright red tie around his neck as he barked into a phone, his deep voice getting the point across.

Whenever questioned about the new job and new life the smaller fox would use a series of rather crude words and a few interesting descriptions of Nick that would make even the most thick skinned mammal cover their ears.

Nick had decided not to pursue the topic for now, especially since Finnick was already in a bad mood. Nick had contacted his old friend saying he needed help with something. After over 30 minutes of guilting the smaller predator Nick was successful in convincing Finnick in joining him on one last "con".

As it turned out this con was really just Finnick playing chauffer as they drove around the city looking at potential apartments. Finnick had not been amused in the slightest. Threatening to leave the Nick and bunnies if they got on his nerves. Nick had a feeling though that his old friend was actually loving this. The two hadn't had much time to get together over the past few weeks and now it felt like old times.

Finnick driving while Nick sat lazily in the passenger seat. The only difference was the two does in the back. One of which finally reached the front area and wrapped her arms around Nick's neck, nuzzling into his orange fur.

Nick chuckled while Finnick gagged. Judy had been extra affectionate lately. Ever since the event in the hotel living room. Then the shower. Maybe the kitchen too. Oh and then that bit in the bed where Judy laid on her back and…

"So where is this next stop anyways? Better be a bar nearby!" Finnick growled in his low voice. Bringing Nick's thoughts back to the task at hand.

"Oh there is one, all of these are nearby the 10-7 actually. The last one was the farthest out!" Trisha said as she popped her head over Finnick and then did something that Nick would remember for the rest of his days.

As casual as she could be Trisha rested her chin right on top of Finnick's head. Nick and Judy both stared in disbelief at the scene as Trisha casually scrolled through her phone as if this was a normal thing to see.

Finnick was fuming at this point, his small paws gripping the wheel. "I swear if there weren't cops around right now!" He growled.

Trisha however nuzzled her chin against the fox's head. "Just make a right and then it's on the left."

"Nick I swear if you don't get this bunny in control!" Finnick growled.

Nick chuckled, "Like I have any control over that bunny, I barely have control over mine!"

The van made a right turn and the group looked to the left in time to see the destination appear up ahead. Finnick doing his best to keep his anger in check but everyone could tell that Trisha was really pushing his buttons.

"There's a spot!" Trisha announced and pointed at a vacant parking spot. "Oh there's one! Oh that one is nice too!"

"Will you shut up? I see the spots! I'm not blind!" Finnick shouted as he tried to swat Trisha away. The doe giggled as she leaned back just out of the drivers reach and then sat on the floor in the back.

"If you see them then why are you driving by them?"

"Judy, control your girlfriend!" Finnick instructed Judy.

The gray doe giggled as she released Nick from her grasp and took a seat next to Trisha.

"So what have we got for this one?" Judy asked as she looked on Trisha's screen.

Trisha quickly closed a messenger app, but not before Judy saw the word Delta on the screen. She smirked, knowing who Trisha had been texting all morning.

"This one is actually the best choice! I know you enjoyed the last one, being near the meadows and all, but I really think we should stay in city center!" Trisha advised.

"Then why the hell have I been driving all over the damn city looking at those other shit holes?!" Finnick shouted from the front as he finally pulled into a spot.

"Because I wanted Judy to see all our options!" Trisha began, "Plus you have a water bed which is super fun to sit on! So I thought it would be fun to drive over a bridge or two!"

"Thanks again for driving bud," Nick said as Finnick prepared another salvo of insults directed at both Nick and Trisha. Judy had noticed that the fennec fox hadn't really thrown many insults her way that morning. Nick said it was because the smaller predator respected her for hustling him during her first case. Anyone who could hustle a fox was okay in Finnick's book apparently. The real reason though was Finnick was happy for Nick. Though he would never say it out loud he was glad to see his friend doing so well. Judy was responsible for that so the smaller fox gave her a little more leeway.

"Yeah yeah, you owe me Wilde!" Finnick said as Trisha reached up and flicked one of the fox's ears. Finnick slowly turned to stare at Nick, his eyes twitching, "You owe me big time!"

The group exited the vehicle. Save for Finnick who decided to stay in the van, claiming he needed some bunny free time. Trisha gave the fox a playful pout and then a quick wink before grabbing Judy's paw and skipping across the street.

"Do you ever shut off?" Judy giggled.

"Noooope!" Trisha beamed.

"Gotta say never seen anyone treat Finnick like that," Nick said as he joined the bunnies on the other side of the street, "You are one brave doe!"

"I treat everyone the same way! I ain't gonna treat someone different just because they try to act scary," Trisha explained.

"Same way? Everyone?" Judy asked as she raised her brow.

Trisha blushed, "Well…some mammals get a little extra attention," She said as she squeezed Judy's paw. The gray bunny giggled as a memory or two flashed in her mind.

"And what do I get?" Nick asked playfully as he watched the two friends, knowing full well what was being implied.

"You get her!" Trisha said as she released Judy's paw and nodded at the gray bunny. Judy took the hint and suddenly turned around and wrapped her paws around the fox's waist.

Nick was somewhat surprised at all of this. He enjoyed the hug and wrapped his good arm around Judy. He also enjoyed the fact that Trisha seemed to have suggested it. All his hesitation about Trisha had faded away over the past day or two. Her actions clear that she intended to keep her promise to the fox.

"Well…okay...I guess," Nick said in a disappointed tone.

"Hey!" Judy shouted as she looked up at her fox. Her bright purple eyes full of want.

"Just kidding carrots." Nick said as he leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on the nose.

There was a scoffing noise from the sidewalk and all three mammals looked over to see an elderly sheep couple staring. The affection from Nick to Judy had obviously thrown them off.

"We got a problem?" Trisha asked in a rather aggressive tone.

The two mammals on the side walk looked at the brown doe nervously and then back at Nick and Judy, both still wrapping their arms around one another.

"With a fox no less," One of the sheep muttered as they hurried away.

Judy released Nick and quickly grabbed Trisha by the collar, holding the brown bunny back as she tried to chase after the bigoted mammals.

"Its ok Trisha," Judy said calmly as she struggled to keep the brown doe at bay.

"Oh I hope we become neighbors with them! Gonna invite Delta over and see what they think!" Trisha said rather loudly.

"Probably gonna think what's a canine like that doing with such a crazy bunny!" Judy whispered playfully.

Trisha began to chuckle at Judy's comment and the gray bunny could feel the pressure in her paws loosen. The brown doe obviously sparing the other mammals for now.

Judy then looked back at Nick and gave him a weak smile. The fox just shrugged as he looked back. Both of them had experienced this kind of thing before as partners. When responding to a call they would sometimes get odd questions about why a bunny and a fox were paired up together. This had been the first time since they started dating that they had heard such words.

Fortunately enough it didn't really phase either of them. Judy was also very grateful to Trisha, seeing just how far her friend would go to defend her honor.

Trisha let out a long sigh and then looked up at the building, "So here we are!" Trisha announced, returning to their original mission.

The apartment building rose up into the sky in front of the mammals. It had a modern feel to it. It was a light blue building with a series of giant bright purple shapes in random spots. The bottom of the building was a grass green. To Judy it looked like a series of flower petals blowing in the wind across a field.

"The Purple Flower Apartments," Judy said aloud as she read a large sign just in front of the building. There was a driveway that lead to the back of the building where the residents could park and a very small grass lawn which were covered by some trees. Overall the exterior was a huge upgrade to what Judy was used to.

"Purple Flower Apartments," Nick said as his shoulder began to shake, obviously trying to hold in laughter.

Both Judy and Trisha looked over at the fox in a confused manner.

"Nice choice," Nick began as he looked directly at Trisha, "Petals."

Trisha's eyes went wide as she put two and two together. She looked at the name of the building then back at Nick. She then turned around and started to head back to the van.

"Where are you going?" Judy asked as she reached out and grabbed Trisha's paw.

"Cant live here!" Trisha groaned as she tugged at Judy's arm.

"What? IT looks nice!"

"Nope! Can't do it!" Trisha said as she tried to escape.

"Aww come on petals I was just teasing!" Nick said as he hobbled over and put a paw on Trisha's shoulder.

"Hate that nickname!" Trisha groaned as she tried to shrug Nick's arm off.

"I'm sorry Trisha, come one!" Nick said, changing tactics but continuing to laugh.

"Please!" Judy said quickly as she jumped in front of her friend, "Can we at least check it out?"

Trisha sighed as she looked into her friend's bright purple eyes, "You're lucky you're so darn cute!"

"YAY!" Judy cheered as she flung her arms in the air, only to bring them down on Trisha's shoulders and hug her friend.

"As for you!" Trisha said as she turned to look at Nick, her view somewhat obscured by Judy's arms. "One flower joke from you!"

"I promise I will play nice!" Nick said as he gave Trisha a wink. With that Trisha and Judy began to walk towards the building, but not before Nick let another joke go, "But I really think it will help our friendship bloom!"

"Wilde!" Judy shouted at her fox as she had to practically jump on Trisha to stop the doe from heading back to the van.

As the whole scene played out Finnick watched from the comfort of his van. "Nick you got hustled good," The smaller fox grumbled as he watched Nick try toe fend off an attack from the brown doe. There was a sudden ringing from his paws and he looked down at his phone which he had been reading on earlier. Finnick groaned as he recognized the number from his work. He pressed the answer button and put the phone to his ears, "Hey Vicky."

"Hey Fin, sorry to bug ya on your day off, but they came back from negotiations wanting the bump up the first rate by another 10%," Came a firm sounding female.

Finnick felt like slamming his head into the steering wheel, "I swear I am gonna claw someone's eyes out!"

"Get in line, so what do we want to do?"

As Finnick continued with his work call he looked across the street and watched as Nick, Judy, and Trisha entered the building. Hoping his friend was about to have better luck with business than he was.

After a few more bad flower puns Nick had finally run out of ammunition. Trisha felt like her eyes would fall out of her head from rolling so much. The predator had been relentless and Trisha began to think of ways to get back at him. An evil thought crossed her mind and she decided to use Judy as a tool for her revenge. As the three walked up the steps that lead into the apartment building Trisha took Judy's paw in her hand and leaned close. Giving Judy a playful nuzzle. The gray bunny let out a surprised giggle and blushed at the sudden attention. She looked into her friends bright blue eyes with a happy concern.

Trisha's bright blues darted to the fox and then back to Judy. Giving the doe a playful wink. Judy began to understand and leaned again Trisha.

The sudden affection from Trisha didn't go unnoticed by Nick who suddenly looked at Trisha with slight concern. Wondering if the doe had forgotten her promise. Nick coughed a little loud to try and get the two mammals attention. It didn't work so he tried again. Trisha turned over to Nick with a wicked smile.

Suddenly the fox understood what was going on.

"Oh that's cruel!" Nick thought with a sky smirk, "She is good!"

"You two having fun?" Nick asked as he eyed the two. The group finally reaching the front doors.

Trisha beamed and nodded, giving off a soft purr as she gave Judy another nuzzle.

"Just enjoying a little attention," Judy teased as she rubbed her nose against Trisha's fur. She then gave a wink to Nick before speaking once more, "she is such a pretty smelling flower!"

Nick and Judy suddenly busted out laughing at Trisha's reaction. The look of mild betrayal plus shock made her look rather cute.

"Oh gosh not you too!" Trisha said playfully as she held Judy's arm and gave it a gentle shake.

Judy had a tear in roll down her cheek as she continued to laugh. Nick felt his chest swell with pride. Knowing this kind of Judy was his doing. Sure Trisha influenced Judy to be more playful and bubbly. Nick however made the gray doe a little Slyer and quick witted.

"Awww, I'm sorry Trisha!" Judy said as she saw the brown doe stomp away. She reached out and tried to grab the brown bunny's arm but Trisha shook her arm loose.

"Oh it's Trisha now? Not petals or flower?" Trisha asked in a mildly annoyed tone.

"Don't be like that!" Judy pleaded with a smirk. Trisha reached the front door and opened it, quickly walking inside.

"Think we hit a nerve there Carrots," Nick admitted as he watched the brown doe stomp away. He felt a little guilty. Suddenly realizing the situation they were in.

Judy had made her choice and was now dating Nick. Just a few nights ago things were actually looking a little different though. Trisha had taken her chance with Judy. Though Judy hadn't shot Trisha down, she did kind of leave her behind.

Maybe both Nick and Judy using Trisha as the tail end of a joke could be considered a little cold. After all they were both happily dating and not hiding anything. Trisha had said she was fine with it, even encouraging the two! However words and actual feelings are two different things.

Judy's eyes went wide as she put the clues together. She then put a paw to her head. "Oh geeze!"

Things had now gotten a little awkward, both Judy and Nick knew that.

Nick held the door open for Judy and the two headed into the lobby of the apartment building Trisha was busy looking straight up at the small domed ceiling. It had images of more purple petals flowing in a wind swept field. It was actually quiet lovely.

Judy however was a little more focused on her friend. She strolled up behind Trisha and gently rested her head on the brown bunny's shoulder and gave Trisha a gentle nuzzle.

Nick waited back for a second, wanting to give Trisha a little space. He couldn't hear what Judy was saying but whatever it was it seemed to do the trick. Trisha began to giggle and reached up behind her, gently stroking Judy's cheek.

He felt a weight lifting from his shoulders as Trisha transformed back into her regular self. She turned to look at Nick and then whispered something to Judy who blushed and giggled. Trisha continued to whisper sweetly to Judy. The gray bunny's eyes going wide as she put a paw to Trisha's mouth.

"Its not! No! Shut up!" Judy said which a chuckle as Trisha began to chuckle, her laughs muffled by a gray paw.

"Okay, now this I have to hear!" Nick said as he strolled over to the bunnies.

Judy turned another shade of red and shook her head while Trisha kept a wicked look in her eyes.

Trisha began to speak but Judy just put her other paw over Trisha's mouth, successfully covering the doe so she couldn't speak.

Trisha let her eye lids droop slightly and suddenly Judy's eyes went wide. She bit her lower lip and one eye began to twitch as her ears slowly drooped. The whole reaction looked quite odd to Nick. This went on for a few seconds before Judy led out a sudden Yelp and pulled her paws away.

"Ewwwwwww! Why would you do that?!" Judy said as she wiped her now saliva covered paw on her jeans.

Trisha had a proud look on her face. The bunny had been licking at Judy's paw to get her to let go. Trisha was actually impressed how long Judy went before surrendering.

"I was saying..."

"Blah blah blah!" Judy blurted out as she wrapped her arms around Trisha from behind and squeezed. Lifting the brown doe I to the air and carrying her off.

"Ahhh! Nick help!" Trisha pleaded as she started laughing.

"I would," Nick began but did nothing as he watched, "but this is actually very amusing!"

Judy carried Trisha away from Nick as the brown doe squirmed, trying to get free. Though she didn't seem to be trying too hard.

The two doe's antics were suddenly interrupted though by a friendly looking panda who entered the lobby from a small office off to the side.

"Well hello there!" The panda greeted the group. His eyes going from Judy and Trisha over to Nick who gave the panda a friendly nod.

The large predator put on a broad smile that Nick could tell was all part of a sales pitch. He knew that smile, he had used it before himself.

"Hi! I'm Trisha! This is Judy and the weird one over there is Nick!" Trisha said, still being held up by Judy. The brown bunny extended her arm as if this was completely normal. Knowing g Trisha it probably was. The doe introducing the rest of the mammal's t the excited panda.

The panda took the small does paw and gave her a gentle shake. "I am Tom! I am part of the rental form. Looking for a new place to call home?"

"Yes Tom!" Trisha said happily as Judy set her down. Judy looked a little embarrassed being caught in such a manner but Trisha was completely unfazed. "We were hoping to look at something more our height range!" Trisha said, pointing at Judy and herself. "Oh but it needs lots of clearance because that fox over there will probably be spending the night and these two are into some crazy positions!"

Judy put her paw back on Trisha's mouth so quickly Nick was surprised she didn't just slap her friend.

Tom looked at Nick and Judy. His smile faltered for a moment but it soon strengthened once more.

"So a place with thick walls will be preferred then?" Tom asked slyly.

Nick liked the panda a little more after that remark.

Trisha's eyes became broader and Nick could tell she was grinning underneath Judy's paw. The brown bunny nodded quickly which caused her ears to flop slightly.

"Well let's go take a seat in my office and see what units are available!" Tom said as he waved the three mammals towards a small office to the side of the lobby.

While they waited for Tom they were offered some complimentary beverages which they all took happily. Trisha and Judy sipped at a few fruit drinks while Nick went with a can of a coffee drink.

Trisha was back to her bubbly self and happily joking with Judy. Nick joining in every once and a while. He didn't want to talk too much in front of the sales mammal though. Nervous that he may give away something the panda could take advantage of during negotiations. They may not be buying a place but Nick knew that even renters could negotiate some better rates sometime.

"Alright, so I have 4 units available that would be perfect for you two!" Tommy said as he brought some papers from his desk, "Plus it is a raised ceiling so most mammals can fit inside easily! Lots of room for…" The panda trailed off as he looked at Nick and then Judy.

"Activities!" Judy spoke up. Finding the right word that wouldn't make the situation anymore awkward.

"Sexy activities!"

"Trisha!" Judy snapped as she nudged her friend before blushing for what must have been the tenth time since arriving.

Tom smiled, obviously trying to remain professional but also wanting to joke around. Trisha had a sudden look in her eye. Nick recognized the look. The brown bunny got it when she was scheming. Nick looked over at Tom and then back at Trisha.

"Oh gosh she is gonna try and get him to say something!" He thought. Feeling bad for the panda that was now a target for Trisha's playful personality.

"So the units in question are all the same design. They are just spread across three floors. I should make you aware that city views cost a little more but are totally worth it!" Tom explained as he started to usher the group out of the office and back into the lobby.

"Oh! City views?" Judy said excitedly. Trisha looked at Judy and then to Nick.

"Guess who is gonna get a city view apartment!" Nick teased. Knowing that now the option had been put out there it would be all Judy was thinking about.

"Okay, let's look at that first I guess..." Trisha grumbled, wondering how much more they were talking about.

"Great!" Tom said as he led the group to an elevator. "So let me give you a little history of the apartment building!"

As the group piled into the elevator Tom took a moment to press the number 7 on the row of buttons. There were 20 buttons total. Judy hadn't realized just high up the apartment building went when they looked outside. She eyed the buttons and realized a few of them were dedicated to non living floors. There was an underground garage, laundry and other services, and finally a roof top club one. She was interested in the roof top but Tom cut her train of thought off when he started explaining certain aspects about the building.

As it turned out the apartments had just recently reopened after a huge refurbishment project that had the building closed off for over half the year. The company that owned the building had put a small fortune into the refurbishment but it really showed. The elevator was spotless and felt very modern. When they arrived on their floor the doors opened up to a bright hallway that had several large pictures of flowers in the walls.

Nick nudged Trisha playfully. The brown bunny looked at Judy who smiled and nodded, giving Trisha permission to do as she saw fit. Nick tried to escape but soon found himself with a brown bunny wrapping her arms around his neck. She balled her paw into a fist and began to rub it against the Fox's cheek. Quietly cursing the pred.

Tom stopped his explanations of the apartment and watched the scene. Judy smiled at the larger mammal, "sorry about that Tom, please continue!"

The panda went back to his sales pitch as he led Judy down the hall and towards an available apartment. Nick followed with a brown doe ha going on his shoulders. Trisha feeling the fox had gotten what he deserved but enjoyed not having to use her feet. Nick put his good paw on Trisha's arms and held her up as he trudged down the hall after Judy and Tom. Trisha squealed happily as she was carried along. She leaned close to Nick's ear as the two watched Judy and Tom chat about the apartment they were about to walk into.

"You are okay with all this right? I didn't mean to Shanghai your girlfriend into living with me but it-" Trisha began to whisper.

Nick chuckled which caused the doe to fall silent, "yes I am okay with this! Matter a fact I'm kinda happy things turned out this way. Carrots would be an awesome room mate, but she is right, moving in with me may give her parents a heart attacks!"

"Oh yeah because she is so much safer living with me!" Trisha teased.

"You say that, but I think she is very safe living with you! Can't think of a better room mate for my Carrots!" Nick said sweetly, a sky smirk on his face.

Trisha rubbed her cheek against Nick and he noticed a slight dampness, she obviously had a few tears going.

"Hey now! Watch the shirt!"

"Sorry, you are just so damn dorky sometimes!" Trisha whispered as they reached the door.

"You two having fun?" Judy asked as she watched the fox trudge up to the door, the brown doe slung over his back.

"Yes! I can see why you like riding him all the time, he is super comfy!" Trisha teased causing Judy to turn bright red.

Trisha hoped from Nick's back and brushed her paws off. She then strolled over to Tom and grinned, "So is this it?"

Tom who had fallen silent just nodded as he unlocked the door. The panda stepped aside and allowed the three mammals to enter the apartment.

The apartment was amazing. The walls were a bright white with a tint of blue. The large windows letting in the sunlight which brightened the apartment by using natural light instead of electric. The kitchen was filled with stainless steel appliances and dark colored cabinets. Giving everything a clean and modern look. The apartment wasn't furnished so Tom began to explain each room and its intended purpose. He did however say that whatever they wanted to do was up to them. There was a small dining room with a large black lamp over head. A living area which Tom suggested would be great with a large couch and TV. Nick of course agreeing as the fox imagined watching a few sporting events on a large flat screen.

There were two bedrooms right across from one another and a large shared bathroom. Trisha made a few comments about the large shower space. Saying it was the perfect size for both Nick and Judy. Before either of the others could stop her Trisha threw in "at the same time!" This earned her an embarrassed look from Judy while Tom chuckled.

The bedrooms were the same design but one got a window to the outside while the other did not, being an interior unit. Trisha made a comment about not minding the dark of the rooms since she was a bit of a night owl. She did say though that she intended to use either bed room for sleeping whenever she pleased. Judy giggled and nodded, knowing there would be no stopping the brown doe from napping wherever they wanted.

One of the truly nice things about the apartment was the balcony connected to the living are. Two large bay doors opened up and allowed access to the outside. Judy and Trisha excitedly leaned over the railing. Trisha shouting at Finnick's van, trying to get the Fox's attention to no avail.

Trisha began to look for something to throw but was stopped by a giggling Judy.

"So are they related?" Tom asked Nick as the two does fought, Judy doing her best to get control of Trisha while the brown bunny squealed happily.

Nick chuckled and shook his head at the panda, "No, just best friends."

"Makes sense! They seem great together!" Tom said which earned him a sky look from Nick.

The fox was tempted to say something but decided against it.

The tour was finally over and both does we're obviously head over heals for the place. Loving almost every aspect of the place. Nick tried to keep the girls calm as they argued over what to put where. Pointing out that they didn't have the place just yet.

"So Tom, what are we looking at rent wise?" Nick asked as he gave in and let the excited does dart around the apartment together.

Tom pulled a small sheet from a folder he had been carrying. He strolled over to the counter placed the paper down, beckoning Nick to join him.

The fox eyed the paper and saw a series of numbers and names.

"So this is a city view, 2 bed 1 bath, medium class apartment," Tom explained. His large paw going over a few numbers. The predator's digits finally resting on a number in the middle of the page. "That's what we are looking at for this unit. I do have another 2 bed with a second shower unit. It would add a lot though since its closer to the top of the building and has the best view!"

The number the panda was currently pointing at was already somewhat high. It was easily the most expensive apartment Trisha had found but it was truly an amazing place. Nick felt nervous as he had a feeling it was just out of the price range of the two does.

"We of course have 1 bed room set ups to!" Tom suggested.

Nick's eyes went wide as an image of Judy standing next to a bed with Trisha laying down in a seductive pose as she patted the sheets next to her. "Coning to bed Judy?" The brown bunny asked as Judy began to remove her top.

"Yeah no don't think that will work?" Nick said quickly. He trusted Trisha but also thought the temptation would be far too great! Even for the brown bunny.

Nick suddenly remembered something he had learned a while back. He had heard about certain places giving discounts to officers. Though Judy would be opposed the fox wondered just how against it his partner would be if it meant she could live in a place like this.

"Out of curiosity do you offer members of the ZPD a discount at all?" Nick asked as he saw Judy and Trisha hopping over to the kitchen. The fox dropped his voice slightly, hoping Judy was distracted enough to not have heard him.

"Of course we offer law enforcement discounts! Plus we wave the security deposit!" Tom said happily.

"Dang!" Nick thought, not at the news but the fact that Judy suddenly turned to the announcement and glanced at Nick, an annoyed look in her eyes.

Nick gave her a weak smile and shrugged.

"Wait! Are one of you an officer?" Tom asked.

"Yep!" Trisha said happily. "Officer Trisha! Reporting for duty!" Trisha teased as she gave Tom a playful salute.

"Oh!" Tom said in surprise as he eyed Trisha, "I didn't know there were more bunny officers besides that Judy…" A look of realization crossed the pandas face as he looked at Judy.

"Judy Hopps?" The panda asked excitedly.

Judy let out a sigh and nodded. She then glared over at Nick.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry I didn't recognize the hero of Zootopia!" Tom said happily, his tone growing much more excited.

"I'm just a regular officer!" Judy exclaimed.

"A sexy regular officer!" Trisha teased with a wink.

"My sexy regular officer!" Nick added with a handsome smile towards his doe. Judy had a sudden goofy look on her face as she looked at Nick. Her annoyance of Nick fading away.

"The sexy regular officer who just has to move in here!" Tom threw out. Trisha threw her paws in the air and cheered. Finally getting Tom to say something risky. Her secret goal for the day achieved she started bouncing in place.

"You know we have other members of the ZPD here? I think four or five units are currently occupied by them!" Tom said happily. "It's a sign! You have to move in!"

"Yes it's a sign!" Trisha whispered happily to Judy, "We have to move in and make Nick pay for my part of the rent!"

"Trisha!" Nick snapped quickly, shaking his head.

"Puh please?" Trisha begged playfully.

It didn't take long to convince Judy that this apartment was the right choice. It wasn't far from the ZPD so she could easily walk to work. The 10-7 was a little farther in the other direction but Trisha said it was still a lot closer than she currently was.

The only problem to Judy was the location was not exactly near Nick. He was on the other side of city central and though he walked to work he wouldn't be able to walk with her every morning.

"Just get a big bed!" Trisha groaned, "Or make him sleep on the couch every night!"

Trisha was of course teasing and soon changed tactics when she noticed a slight sniffle start. Both Nick and Trisha had been keeping a close eye on their friend lately. After what happened the other night they were concerned for Judy's mental well being. They knew it was the night howlers and Judy had no control over them. They could play havoc on her emotions.

"Tell ya what Carrots," Nick explained as he leaned down close to Judy who had started toe tremble. "I can always spend the night on our Fridays and we will have the whole weekend to spend together!" Nick suggested.

"Of course leaving time for your favorite doe!" Trisha insisted which earned a happy smile from Judy.

When Judy wasn't looking Nick glanced over at Trisha who gave the fox a weak smile and then a nod. No words were necessary between the two friends. Trisha signaled that she understood what being Judy's room mate meant in these regards. The brown bunny showed a confident resolve when she looked at Judy and then back at the Nick.

"I'll take care of her," she mouthed. Nick letting out a relieved sigh. Judy managed to calm down thanks to a little compassion from her friends. She then agreed that they had found their new home.

It was soon all settled. The apartment was great, the location wonderful, and with a very generous discount it was also affordable.

The apartment management team worked quickly to secure the does in the new apartment. Performing a background check which Trisha teased would be her downfall. Nothing came up of course. Trisha playfully acting stunned.

Soon the three mammals found themselves in the office connected to the lobby sitting in some very large chairs as Tom finished up the paperwork. Judy couldn't believe just how fast all this was going. She kept looking over at Nick and then to her new room mate Trisha. The brown doe was practically bouncing with excitement.

Tom printed out a final set of papers and slid them over to Judy and Trisha and then handed each doe a pen which Trisha said she intended to keep. Tom advising them they were complimentary.

"Sign on the line and the place is yours!" Tom advised as he leaned back in his seat happily.

Judy looked up at Nick who nodded confidently. The fox having looked over the lease carefully for the does and made sure they weren't going to be taken advantage of.

Trisha didn't need any prompting as she signed her name: Trisha Rose. Putting a heart on the 'I' and a smiley face in the 'O'.

Nick was about to make a comment but Trisha cut him off when she turned to glare at the fox. Nick suddenly worried if the bunny had mind reading powers.

Judy took in a deep breath and then signed her name: Judy Hopps.

"Gonna have to frame this one!" Tom said playfully as he looked at the signatures. He then slid a set of keys and a folder over the desk. "Congrats ladies and welcome to the neighborhood!"

Trisha scooped up the keys and held them in her paws. She then stood on the chair and cheered.

"Yes!" she practically yelled, "Naked pizza party at our place tonight!"

"Trisha!" Judy said as her cheeks warmed.

Trisha looked down at Judy and rolled her eyes, "Fine, regular naked party at our place, your no fun!"

Judy looked at Nick and shook her head, "That's my roommate..." She groaned as Trisha began to wiggle her hips and dance.

"Best room mate ever!" Trisha teased.

Judy looked at the brown bunny and smiled softly, "Yeah, best room mate ever."

* * *

 **So after weeks of medical leave I have finally returned to work! Been back a few days and already needing a vacation!**

 **Just kidding! Its good to be back causing trouble with my partner! :D**

 **I think Judy and Trisha are gonna have so much fun being room mates! I know I am already having fun writing it!**

 **Oh and before I forget I have finally found my way onto AO3. Same username and everything! Have I posted anything? No. Will I? Sorry cant hear you, cartoons are on. I hope to have NH posted on there soon along with my other stories! I will keep you all posted!**

 **-Blue**


	42. Party at the 10-7

-Party at the 10-7-

Life was good.

Simple as that.

Judy had an awesome partner and now boyfriend.

She had a brand new apartment that was super close to work.

Her roommate Trisha was turning out to be one of her closest friends and confidants. She was also a great kisser but that was beside the point.

Though she had been mammal napped at the start of the week by one of the most dangerous criminal minds in the city. The rest of the week had turned out to be pretty awesome. Judy considered that things kind of evened out.

Was this the best week ever? Well she had managed to finally get a kiss from Nick, and so much more, however she had been strapped to a bomb in the process. Oh and she was still suffering from the effects of the Night Howler serum which was slow to leave her system since she as a prey species didn't process protein as quickly as the predators the serum was meant for. That part kind of stunk.

All these thoughts and more raced through the small does mind as she sat in the backseat of the taxi that was speeding through the early evening traffic. Normally she would have her head glued to the window and absorb all the sights. Instead she sat happily cuddled up to Nick while the fox chatted with Trisha who sat on the other side of the predator.

They had spent the majority of the day searching for an apartment. After signing for the new place they had made a quick run to Judy's apartment to gather some work clothes and other such items before being dropped off at the rather empty new apartment by Finnick. The fennec fox finishing his taxi duties after dropping the three mammals off at Trisha and Judy's new place.

Much to everyone surprise he congratulated Judy and Trisha on the new digs. When Trisha asked where her congratulatory hug was the fox bared his teeth and threatened to bite one of the brown does ears. This only caused Trisha to bite her lip and make a few rather crude suggestions. Completely caught off guard all Finnick could do was growl and hop back in his van.

The gang took time to appreciate the new apartment until the sun had begun to set. Trisha declared that they needed to celebrate the new accomplishment and to both Nick and Judy's surprise the brown bunny suggested a little get together at the 10-7. They would have thought that spending time at the bar she worked at would have seemed like a chore to Trisha. Far from it though. The bunny seemed adamant on the fact and it wasn't till they learned she got major discounts on the drinks did they understand why.

They arranged for a taxi to pick them up at the apartment and piled in when it arrived. One of the nice things about this new place was its location in the center districts. There was always a taxi nearby so they wouldn't have to wait long if they ever needed to get somewhere quick.

Judy enjoyed the drive and kept her eyes closed almost the whole trip. Her mind going blank as she simply nuzzled into her fox and breathed in his musk. She loved how Nick smelled and felt as if she could just bond to his scent. Even though that sounded like a rather ridiculous idea when Judy thought about it.

Trisha and Nick meanwhile continued to chat. At one point though both mammals had gone quiet and Judy peaked an eye open in time to see Trisha lowering her phone and grinning.

"Mhmmm, leave me alone," Judy grumbled as she put a paw on Nick's chest and buried her face into his side.

"But you look so cute!" Trisha said happily as she examined her phone and then showed Nick the most recent picture.

"You do look rather peaceful Carrots," Nick began, "Which is a change of pace from your OW!"

Judy gave Nick a playful nip at his sides and the fox nearly jumped out of his seat. Trisha began to howl with laughter as Judy pulled at Nick till he was back in his seat, she then proceed to nuzzle back into him once more.

Judy detected movement and opened her eyes. She smiled as she saw Trisha press her back to Nick's side as she raised her phone and prepared to take a selfie. Nick's head was at the very top of the screen while Judy and Trisha's faces filled the lower part of the pic.

Judy closed her eyes and smiled as she heard the camera take the picture.

Life was very good indeed.

By the time they had reached the 10-7 Judy felt rather cuddly and held onto Nick as if he were some kind of stuffed animal. The fox didn't seem to mind though, Judy noticing his tail swayed in a pleased manner as they approached the bar.

Petey, the Rhino bouncer, gave the group a knowing smile. "Sorry folks but this is a classy establishment! You wouldn't fit in."

Nick and Judy chuckled at the rhino's antics as he opened the door for them. The bouncer knowing everyone in the group so there was no need for a badge check. Trisha however stopped just short of the door and smirked up at the rhino who rolled his eyes and then took a knee. The brown doe hopped up on the mammal's large knee and then leaned up and gave him a sweet peck on the cheek.

"Something to get you through the night Petey!" Trisha said as she jumped off the rhino and into the bar. The large protector to the bar laughed and shook his head.

"Love you too girl!"

"You better!" Trisha said and winked as the door closed behind her.

Judy realized she had never been to the 10-7 with Trisha when the brown doe wasn't working. It was actually a rather interesting experience. A lot of the patrons knew the bunny and raised their glasses when she passed. A pair of medics asked her excitedly if she was working. The sad looks on their faces when the bunny said she was there for drinks not work was priceless.

The group found a table towards the back of the bar. It was one of the small couch tables that Judy enjoyed. Judy remembered the last time she was at the bar. Some rather embarrassing memories came flooding back and she felt her ears droop. The moment didn't last for long as Nick took a seat right next to her and put his good arm around her shoulder.

Now that they were officially a couple Nick seemed a little more forward with how he interacted with Judy. She loved every second of it. The gray doe could barely keep her eyes off the fox as she put a paw on his lap and rested her head against him.

One of Trisha's coworkers strolled over and gave Trisha a smug look, "Oh hell they let you in here?" The otter in a bright red shirt asked.

"Yeah, dump like this has pretty low standards I guess," Trisha said as she stuck out her tongue, "Gonna do self-serve tonight Em, ill handle our table!"

The otter smiled and nodded, "one less thing for me to worry about, my boys from firehouse 12 won their softball game today, so they are needing a lot of attention!"

"Hose draggers," Nick muttered which earned him a scowl from Em but a thumbs up from Trisha. The brown bunny hopped up from her seat and strolled away with her otter friend without any drink orders being taken.

Now that they were alone Nick took a moment to look down at Judy who smiled up at him. "You feeling okay Carrots? You have been extra affectionate today!"

"Yeah, just happy I guess, I have had an amazing week!" Judy admitted as she leaned up and gave Nick a peck on the cheek.

"Including the part with the bomb?" The fox asked with a chuckle.

"Yes, even that part was kinda fun."

"You are one weird bunny Carrots," Nick teased.

"What about you? How are you feeling?" Judy asked as she poked a finger into Nick's chest.

"Sore," Nick muttered.

"Sore?" Judy asked as she tilted her head.

"Oh yeah! Was attacked by this wild animal yesterday in the hotel room!" Nick said with a wink which caused Judy to blush. "Seriously Carrots are all bunny's that wild?"

"Look who's talking!" Judy teased, "You sure showed off some moves after the first shower! That part where you had me upside down..."

The conversation was cut short as Trisha returned with a tray of drinks. The brown bunny had been very busy behind the bar and had brought them some rather interesting choices.

Judy's drink was a bright pink drink tat tasted like watermelon. Nick was served a mixed drink which Judy swore would catch on fire if placed near an open flame. Trisha meanwhile had made herself a bright blue mixed drink that Judy eyed curiously. That wasn't all the brown bunny had retrieved though.

A bottle of clear liquid was now placed in the center of the table next to three shot glasses.

"Shots?" Nick asked hesitantly as he sniffed his own drink. The fox took a moment to decide whether to consume his beverage. He shrugged and then took a sip. He winced which caused Trisha to laugh.

"Hard liquor night!" Trisha announced.

"You are gonna be the death of me!" Nick grumbled as he took another sip.

"That's the plan, then Judy is all mine!" Trisha said as she took a sip from her drink and then passed it to Judy. Knowing that the gray bunny would want a sip.

Judy let out a soft moan which caused both her friends to look over at her in surprise. Judy however was merely responding to the taste of Trisha's drink and hadn't been paying much attention to the conversation.

"What?" Judy asked as her ears drooped. Both Nick and Trisha began to laugh as they saw the look of confusion on Judy's face.

"Nothing Carrots," Nick said as he took another sip of his drink.

Trisha scooted closer to Nick and reached over and took the pink drink from Judy, "Next time I will just make us both blueberries!" She said as she nodded at the drink in Judy's paws. The blue beverage was halfway gone already.

"Oh no, did I do it again?" Judy asked nervously as she began to feel a warm sensation fill her senses.

"Don't worry," Trisha began as she took a long sip, "Plenty more where that came from!"

As the night went on the three mammals enjoyed a steady flow of drinks. Each of them enjoying another 2 of their main drinks before starting to eye the large bottle at the center of their table.

The crowd inside the bar grew as more firefighters from the softball game arrived. Judy watched as the group of mammals all started laughing and hollering about the game they had just played.

There were also a few members of the ZPD present in the bar. Though Judy couldn't help but notice they seemed in the minority.

"Trisha..." Judy began to speak as she leaned over to look at the brown doe. Judy giggled as she realized her words sounded slurred.

"Yes cutie?" Trisha asked as she leaned against Nick, obviously not caring what the fox thought about personal space.

"Is there normally this few ZPD?" Judy asked as she looked around the bar.

Trisha looked around for a moment and frowned, "No…kinda weird..." She then looked over to a series of large TV's that hung around the bar. Her eyes finding one screen in particular to be of interest. Without saying a word Trisha stood up and hopped over to the bar and grabbed a remote. She acted like she owned the place. If anyone asked though she pretty much did.

A few other mammals noticed Trisha's actions and suddenly a great deal of the bars attention went to the screen. A news segment was airing at that moment. A female snow leopard in a navy blue jacket stood in front of a series of police vehicles with their lights flashing.

Trisha turned the volume up so she could hear. Judy managed to pick up the news cast as well and her ears turned slightly to understand what was being said.

"…With the numbers of the other night's attacks still coming in it has been made obvious that Zootopia is now under siege from a new night howler attack. Many viewers will remember several months ago when predators from across the city began to disappear or go savage. It would appear that though no one has disappeared we are starting to see savage behavior in primarily predator mammals..."

Judy felt her heart sink as the news cast continued. She had completely forgotten about what had happened to the city while she was incapacitated.

Nick had told her how a series of Night howler related attacks had kept the rest of the ZPD busy while he searched for her with Delta and Atom. She had almost completely forgotten about that and hadn't ad a moment to pursue the topic. Now though the topic was laid right out in front of her.

"Several spokes mammals for the ZPD claimed that they are currently investigating the attacks which occurred stimulatingly across the city last night. Though they have yet to comment on how many ZNN has been able to confirm at least 10 cases of predators turning savage due to night howler exposure occurred in just one night." The reporter advised.

The screen then filled with images of angry mammals with signs. All of them shouting hateful words or chanting.

"What is the ZPD even doing? I thought they said they solved this case?" A pig shouted at the camera.

"How many more innocent mammals have to be hurt before we do something about this pred problem?

"We should abolish the ZPD and start our own community outreach!"

There were more comments but Judy couldn't hear them as Trisha lowered the volume. The brown doe's ears drooped as she slowly looked back at Judy and Nick.

Judy felt a tear roll down her cheek. She felt like this was all her fault. She hadn't been there to stop all this and now the city was falling apart.

Nick had a solemn look on his face but he took in a confident breath and looked down at Judy.

"ZPD!" Came a loud voice from across the bar. Everyone look over to an elephant in a baseball shirt. The words: Team Captain, written across his clothing. "You're your drinks are on us!"

As one all the firefighters in the bar raised their glasses and nodded at the few members of the ZPD that were present. Judy looked around and realized why there were so few members of her department there. They were probably all out patrolling the city right now, forced into some kind of overtime till Zootopia was safe once more.

She felt even worse. While she was here enjoying her night off at the bar her friends were out there, tired, strained, and just wanting to go home.

A cheetah in a red ball cap and shirt came by to Nick and Judy's table and gave them a kind nod. "Just ignore the public, we always do..." The words were kind and Judy needed to hear them. Nick smirked and nodded.

The cheetah then eyed the bottle on the table and scooped it up in his large paws. He shook his head and strolled away. Nick sat up slightly and was about to speak when the cheetah raised the bottle and shook his head, signaling for Nick to stay.

A minute later the cheetah returned with a different bottle. "Save the cheap stuff for another night, ZPD deserves better."

The cheetah then walked back to the rest of his party.

The mood in the bar had taken a serious turn. Everyone spoke in quiet tones and though there was the occasional laugh here and there everyone seemed somber.

Judy was happy to see though that there wasn't a lonely ZPD officer in the place. The firefighters and medics inviting most of the solo drinking officers to join their groups. It really showed off the kind of comradery that was shared between the different departments. Sure they loved giving one another a hard time and occasionally got at each others throats. When things got tough though they were there for one another.

Trisha returned with a bowl of lemons and a salt shaker she had retrieved from the bar. She had a rather nervous look about her as she set the items on the table. She then looked at Nick and Judy. "Sorry…should have left that muted..."

Judy shook her head as she looked over at Trisha, "No, I am glad you turned it up. We needed to hear that..."

"Yeah, but I do have one problem," Nick began.

Both bunnies looked up at the fox. Trisha looking rather nervous.

Nick grabbed the new bottle of liquor from the center of the table and held it up for Trisha to see. "Those firefighters said what you gave us was the cheap stuff! What the hell Trisha?!"

Trisha's eyes went wide as she eyed the new bottle, "Who gave you that?!" She said as she grabbed the alcohol and examined it.

"One of the hose draggers!"

"I got the cheap stuff because it was cheap!" Trisha explained, "This stuff would cost me several days' pay!"

Judy felt her heart swell as she looked over at the cheetah in the red cap. Their eyes met and he gave her a kind wink and raised a glass in her direction. She smiled and mouthed the words "Thank you" before looking back at Trisha.

"Well I expect only the best petals!" Nick exclaimed as Trisha opened the large bottle. The brown bunny froze and glared at the fox who smirked.

"This…this is why I bring YOU the cheap stuff!" Trisha explained as she poured two shots and slid one of the full glasses to Judy.

The gray doe looked at the glass nervously and then to Trisha.

"Where is mine?" Nick asked with a laugh.

"What's my name?" Trisha asked as she glared at the fox.

"Petals?" Nick asked playfully which earned him a slug in the arm.

Trisha then looked at Judy and grasped her own glass in her paw. She then tapped it on the table and eyed Judy.

Judy took in a deep breath, she wasn't normally a fan of shots.

Trisha tapped the table again and Judy rolled her eyes. The gray bunny picked up her own glass and tapped it to the table. As one Trisha and Judy shot back their drinks and both winced. The liquid burning their throats but still had a somewhat smooth taste.

Trisha then poured another set of shots. This time including Nick in on the fun since he hadn't made a flower pun in the past 10 seconds which was somewhat impressive for him.

Judy looked in surprised at her now refilled Glass. Not expecting to have another shot so quickly. She however felt a sudden competitive side fill her and she took the glass. As one the three mammals at the table took another shot. All of them wincing as the spirits invaded their systems and started to take effect.

Judy lost track If the shots and the time as they carried in with their drunken antics. Judy and Nick drinking to keep their minds off of work. Trisha meanwhile just enjoying the free alcohol.

It didn't take long for all three mammals to start losing control. Judy becoming some kind aggressive cuddle monster. Constantly rubbing her cheek against Nick or pulling him into a loving kiss. Not caring if anyone say them or not.

Nick and Trisha we're continuing their shot competition as Judy fell behind and then out completely.

Judy didn't mind though and just enjoyed watching her friends antics. Trisha and Nick throwing a few jokes at one another expense. Each one making less and less sense as the drinks continued to pour.

"You slowing down fox?" Trisha asked as she swayed in her seat.

"Nope, just getting started petals," Nick teased which earned him a glare from the doe.

"Hate that name,"

"Naw! You love it!"

"Hate you"

"Naw you love me!"

"I know I do!" Judy shouted and raised her paw into the air. Closing her mouth suddenly when she realized just how loud she had spoken.

Both Trisha and Nick burst out laughing as they looked at the doe who began to blush. Nick gave Judy a gentle peck on the head which caused her to purr softly.

"Oh gosh you two are gross!" Trisha teased.

"You just jelly you don't have a fox like me!" Judy grumbled as Nick looked at Trisha and winked the brown doe let out a laugh and rolled her eyes.

"Why have one color on a canine when you can have several!" Trisha suggested as she gave Nick a look up and down.

Right on cue there was a commotion of sorts across the bar towards the entrance. There was a few concerned tones as two canines strolled into the bar. Well strolled may not have been the opportune choice of words. Limping would have been more correct.

Judy, Nick, and Trisha watched as their favorite painted dogs walked right up to the bar. Several firefighters making a path. A few questions were asked towards the dogs about what had happened.

Judy hadn't had a chance to really see Delta and atom though. Her vision was a little blurry.

"You two okay?" asked a gazelle in a medic uniform as she trotted over and examined Atom who just sighed.

"Jerry! Whatever is cold and will get us drunk the fastest!" Delta said firmly. The panther behind the bar eyed the two painted dogs and quickly popped open two bottles and slid them to the officers.

In one fluid motion the detection team raised their glasses to one another and then drained the bottles in one go.

Several mammals began to cheer as they watched. Nick however sat up nervously which caused Judy to focus on them.

That's when she noticed something was off. One of atoms ears was bandaged. Delta however had a bandage right over the left side of his face. Covering one of his dark brown eyes.

Before either canine could speak up the bartender put two more bottles in the counter.

"Put them on our tab will ya Jer?' one of the firefighters said as he patted atom on the shoulder. Atom winced which caused the whole bar to let out a surprised look. The firefighter apologizing afterwards as Atom just shrugged the pain off.

"So what happened?" Asked a brave zebra after the dogs had drained a second bottle.

Delta turned from the bar and looked at Nick, Judy, and Trisha. "Ask Atom," he said as he walked towards his three friends, his eyes right in the brown doe who gave him a nervous smile.

The rest of the mammals in the bar looked at atom who began to make a series of wheezing noises as he signed a story which caused the rest of the mammals to look at one another in confusion.

Delta walked right up to the table as Trisha jumped up and stood so she was eye level with the canine.

Before Trisha could speak the canine looped his arm around Trisha's waist and threw her onto his shoulder.

"Don't mind me, just need to borrow this," Delta said and nodded at Judy. He then gave Nick an odd look.

Delta turned around and headed away from the table with a tipsy Trisha on his shoulder. The doe squealing with laughter as she squirmed a little.

"I'm gonna be borrowed!" Trisha slurred and giggled.

Judy waved at her friend, her bright purple eyes shining but only to have the happiness fade slightly as she noticed Delta's limp.

Judy's attention changed direction though when she heard a pair of boots stroll up to them. Atom had a rather relaxed look in his face as his beer took effect. Judy smiled at the sweet painted dog and patted the spot next to her.

Atom beamed and took up residence next to the doe who scooted over and raised a gray paw up to Atoms cheek. The canine rubbed against the paw and smiled, his tail swaying. Even in pain the canine knew how to be sweet.

"What happened bud?" Nick asked as he leaned forward to get a better look at the detector.

Atom let out a long sigh and looked around. His eyes fell on the TV which was still showing images from around the city. Judy began to see pictures of some protestors turning violent.

"Was it the protestors?" Judy asked nervously. Atom shook his head and held his paw level and shook. Indicating that was the full reason.

Atom let out a long sigh and looked at his beer and took a sip.

"How about we just sit bud," Nick suggested which got a smile from Atom. Even when drunk the fox knew how to read mammals.

The group sat in silence for a little while until Judy started talking about her apartment. Atom suddenly got an excited look on his face as he listened to the bunny talk about her new digs.

Judy had just finished going over some of the amenities when a very winded Trisha and Delta showed up. Though the painted dog still limped he had a rather pleased look on his face. His uniform was a little more disheveled than it had been when it entered and Judy couldn't help but notice that the base of Trisha's ear was a little darker, like it had been receiving some kind of attention. Her shirt was also stretched out slightly. Both mammals though had very excited looks about them.

"So you done borrowing her?" Judy asked playfully.

"Yeah, about that," Delta teased as he took a swig of beer. As the canine took a seat on the feat across from Judy a certain brown doe climbed into his lap and made herself comfortable. Trisha looked right at home as she rested her head against Deltas chest and smiled. Delta raised his glass at Nick who nodded in return.

"So did you guys do it?" Judy asked which caused the whole group to bust out laughing.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Trisha teased as she took deltas beer in her paws and sipped. Making a funny face when the liquid touched her tongue. Her ears shot up playfully and brushed against deltas face. The canine grinned as he gently blew on the tips. Trisha slowly closed her eyes and purred "oh you freaking tease!"

Judy giggled as she watched the couple in front of her. After all the emotions she had gone through thanks to the night howler exposure she felt a little jealous to see Trisha with Delta but at the same time felt very excited for her friend. Trisha deserved someone like Delta and she felt they made a pretty cute couple. Both of then confident, strong, and a dash of playfulness.

Now if she could only find a date for atom. Judy looked over at the painted dog who noticed Judy's stare. The canine began to shake excitedly as his tail wagged.

"Oh Atom, don't ever change!" Judy said softly as she reached over and patted her friend in the knee.

The night carried on without any further interrupted for the ZPD table. A few medics and firefighters swing by to give words of encouragement before leaving.

Soon enough it was last call and Trisha insisted they leave. Saying how much she hated mammals lingering in her bar when she worked and she refused to be one of those types on her night off.

The gang parted ways when they reached the front of the bar. Petey giving them all one last good night salute before he headed inside to kick out any stragglers.

Nick and Judy offered to share a ride with Trisha but the doe insisted that she would be fine. Judy made a few pouty faces and was about to say something when Trisha scowled at the bunny.

"Hey! Trying to score here!" Trisha said loudly as she patted Delta on the chest. The canine gave Trisha a nervous look before his gaze found Judy's.

"Think I need an adult!"

"Gonna need a doctor when I am done with you!"

"I know one!" Judy said excitedly as she raised a paw.

"Bet you do! All the times you have been to a hospital lately Carrots!" Nick pointed out before receiving a slap on the stomach.

The mammals all parted. Judy and Nick catching a cab back to the hotel. While Trisha, Delta, and Atom caught one that would take them to wherever Trisha wanted to go on an adventure to. The doe claiming that the night was still young.

The ride back to the hotel was actually rather eventful. Nick having to fight off a rather drunk and horny Judy during the whole trip. The bunny's paws wandering to the Fox's belt constantly while the predator did his best to keep Judy in check. The driver would look in the rearview mirror nervously from time to time. Obviously wondering what a fox and bunny were doing out on the town together.

Once back at the hotel Judy led Nick through the vacant lobby. A snow leopard behind the main check in counter looked up and smiled. Giving the two a friendly greeting which was returned with drunken hellos. The leopard watched with curiosity at the odd couple. Part of her thinking it was an odd match, but a cute one none the less.

Unlike the other day when the elevator doors closed there were no other mammals in the small compartment. Nick mentally prepared himself for the attack but was still surprised at his doe's ferocity. Judy turned as soon as the doors closed and slammed a paw into the button for their floor. She then jumped up and attacked the startled fox and pressed her lips to his.

There was no feeling out boundaries anymore. After yesterday's activities Judy was not a timid doe and Nick wasn't some hesitant fox. They knew where they stood so why take it slow. At least that's what the liquor in their systems told them.

Judy gasped as she was pressed against the wall of the elevator. She wrapped her arms around Nick's neck as he pressed his lips to the gray fur on Judy's exposed neck. She moaned as she felt a pair of teeth drag across her.

"Mmm, like that!" she said drunkenly. She ran her paws through the dark fur on his head and began to play with his ears which flicked at her touch.

She could feel a heat between her legs begin form and let out a loud moan. No longer able to hide how she felt.

The doors opened up to their floor and Nick carried the giggling Judy to their door. The doe beginning to give her fox little pecks all over his head. Almost as if to will the fox to hurry.

Nick felt Judy begin to lift up her shirt with one paw as she held onto Nick with the other. The predator tried to hurry as he fumbled with his key. Knowing that if he wasn't quick enough they may end up doing it in the hallway if Judy had her way.

Once the door accepted the key card Nick kicked it open and rushed them inside. Judy giggling as she felt her fox grow more frantic.

Nick carried Judy over to the couch. Feeling it was better than nothing. His heart began to race as he saw Judy lifting her shirt over her body and tossing it to the side. Nick followed suit and brought his shirt over his head. Struggling thanks to his cast slightly. Once he was free of his shirt he looked down and suddenly his eyes went wide with disappointed.

Judy was completely topless her chest exposed to the predator. He watched as her chest slowly raised and lowered. Judy's eyes though we're closed and her head tilted to the side as she breathed softly. The doe having succumbed to the liquor and passing out completely.

Nick smirked as he looked at his bunny. She looked pretty adorable, even when she was black out drunk.

After a moment had passed Nick leaned down and picked Judy up. Carrying her gingerly to the bed room where he gently placed her on one of the large and comfortable beds.

She removed his pants and kept his boxers on. He then curled up around his sleeping bunny. Wrapping his tail around her so her gray form was completely surrounded by orange. Judy let out a soft noise as she cuddled into her foxy pillow.

About an hour later Judy was awoken by a soft chirping coming from her pants. The doe groaned as she patted her pockets and felt her phone vibrating, signaling she had received a message.

A few thoughts raced through her mind as she realized where she was. The first was how did they get to the hotel? Why was she topless? Was Nick naked? Who would be texting her this early in the morning.

Judy winced as the bright light of the screen blinded her purple eyes. After a few seconds of adjusting the doe managed to unlock her phone and read the message she had just received.

It was from Trisha.

"I win!: D" the message read.

"Win what?" Judy responded.

"First one to do it in the apartment!"

"You did what?!" Judy asked, gasping at what she had just read.

"Brought Delta over to our new place to show it off! Then I banged him!"

"Where?!"

"My room, your room, bathroom, kitchen"

"Please tell me these are places you just showed him!" Judy responded in a panic.

"Oh no we totally banged in your room!"

"TRISHA! WTF!"

"Muwahaha!" Trisha responded.

Judy groaned and began to wonder where she could get some industrial cleaner for their new place.

She paused for a moment before going back to the conversation.

"How was it?" Judy giggled as she looked at her fox who was curled up around her. She heard a response on her phone and looked at the screen. The doe gasped suddenly and blushed at her friend's response.

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **Sorry for the delay on this chapter. So things have been getting a little hectic at work but we are handle them.**

 **Also my Firewatch story has been my primary focus as of late. I will however continue to try and write for NH. :D**

 **Just may be a bit between chapters is all.**

 **Thank you all for your continued support!**

 **-Blue**


	43. What did we do?

**Warning: Explicit Material in chapter. Has been marked with a line break and ** to help find it. Will end after another line break.**

* * *

What did we do?!

The sun. Scourge of hangovers and those nursing their wounds from parties long past.

The giant star in the sky was especially brutal today. It was like the celestial body was sent just to torment a particular doe as she slowly began to wake. Her eyes opening only to shut rather quickly as she let out a loud groan.

"What the hell..." She thought to herself as she stirred slightly. Her body ached, her head throbbed, and there was a very odd taste in her mouth.

"Shots….it's always the shots..."She grumbled as she began to stretch. The bunny's nose twitched slightly and she froze suddenly. There was a few odd smells filling her senses. The first was the smell of the bed which was not hers. That started raising some red flags. Then there was the smell of breakfast. Who the hell was cooking breakfast?

The doe slowly rose up and let the blanket that had been covering her fall from her shoulders.

Trisha rubbed her eyes and braved a glance around. Her head felt like it had been hit with a hammer and she squinted as she let her vision adjust.

The room Trisha found herself in wasn't her own. It wasn't Judy and Nicks hotel room either. No this was a new place.

"Oh my gosh…" She began to panic as she brought the blanket close to her body. The bunny began to will her mind to clear so she could try and remember what had brought her here.

The memories began to float into her mind as she tried to piece everything back together. While she tried her best to remember what had happened she looked around the room. The walls were painted white and the shelves on the walls were black. Different items filled the shelves. Some of them Knick knacks others trophies or items that surely had some kind of sentimental value.

The walls were also filled with pictures and posters. Trisha slowly stood up from the bed and felt her head throb once more. She decided slow and steady would be the best course of action. The bunny froze and looked down when she realized there was a slight draft.

Trisha's apparel from last night was absent. Instead she found herself just wearing a very large ZPD shirt. It wasn't the normal blue however. This one was a dark olive green and the ZPD was in black. She took a moment to open the collar of the shirt and peer down. She was completely naked underneath the shirt.

"Okay, deep breath, you are almost naked, in a strange bed, you can handle this," She thought to herself jokingly.

Trisha hopped from the bed and left the comfort of the blankets behind. She approached one of the shelves in the room and picked up a picture. A sudden wave of relief washed over her as she saw two mammals smiling back at her in the frame.

Delta and Atom were standing with their arms around each other's shoulders. A set of confident grins on the painted dogs faces as they stood in front of one of the armored ZPD tactical trucks.

Trisha gently ran a paw over Delta's grinning face and let out a soft sigh. She had to admit he did have a certain rugged look about him that made the predator rather attractive to the bunny. She reminded herself not to mention that to the canine in fear that his ego would grow even larger.

There were a lot of pictures of Delta and Atom together. Some of them with the two in work gear others with them dressed down in more casual attire. It was like walking through a museum of friendship. Trisha couldn't help but let out a few sweet noises when she saw some fun pictures of Delta and his partner goofing around.

There were also a few pictures that Atom was absent from. They were probably from before Atom and Delta had been partnered up.

The painted dog was standing with a group of officers all in dress uniforms in one of the pictures. Trisha recognized it as a graduation picture from the ZPA.

There was another picture of Delta with his arms around a fellow painted dog. This other canine though was in a fire mammals dress uniform. A small plaque was on the bottom of the frame: Delta and Bravo. Different Departments. Still Brothers.

"Bravo?" Trisha asked as she tilted her head and read the name. "What was with your parents Delta?" The doe chuckled wondering just how Delta's other siblings were named.

The does search through the room stopped for a moment as her ears twitched. Coming from outside the door to the room was a soft singing along with the sounds of breakfast being made.

Trisha's nose twitched as she started to pick up the smell of some kind of baked goods warming. She smacked her lips and realized she was actually very hungry. Must have been from all the energy spent last night.

Unaware of where her clothing had gone to the bunny decided that the t shirt would just have to do. Not that this was a problem since the article of clothing went past her knees. She also had a feeling it was just Delta in the other room and since he had already seen Trisha in some rather risqué positions it was safe to assume he wouldn't mind her current outfit.

Trisha strolled out of the bedroom and down a small hallway that led to a living area that was connected to a kitchen. The room was bright and the bunny had to squint as her eyes adjusted. Delta was busy working away at the stove, humming slightly off key a tune Trisha had trouble recognizing.

"Good morning," She said softly as she saw Delta suddenly flip a pancake into the air

The canine's ears twitched and he suddenly turned around. A broad smile on his face.

"Well good morning, how is our brave little trooper?" The painted dog asked. Trisha scowled at the canine. How could he be in such a chipper mood already? Wasn't he suffering through the same hangover she had?

Trisha then remembered that though Delta had joined them at the bar he hadn't exactly partaken in the same spirits. Trisha must have over done it, Delta though must know his limits and didn't exactly push it.

"Sore…" She said with a pleased tone as she waddled over to the canine and wrapped her arms around his waist. She nuzzled into his side and took in a deep breath. "Last night was amazing!"

Delta chuckled as he leaned down and scooped the doe up into a warm hug. Trisha let out a surprised squeal as the canine placed his muzzle between her ears and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"Why so sore?" He asked in a whisper and gave her a slight nip. The sudden aggression caused Trisha to gasp but in a pleasant manner. Delta set the bunny down gently and simply stared into her bright blue eyes.

"Oh I think you know," Trisha said suggestively as she looked directly up at Delta. She moved herself so she was directly in front of him, pressing her body against his.

The painted dog smirked knowingly, "Yeah, just like hearing it come from your lips."

"That's not all you like hearing," Trisha teased as she slowly brought herself down. Her chest rubbing against the front of Delta's work pants.

The predator's eyes widened in surprise as he watched the doe bite her lip, she brought herself back up, making sure to apply plenty of pressure towards the canine.

"I don't know wh-" Delta began.

Trisha suddenly let out a loud moan as she mimicked the noises she had made the night before, "Oh yes…just like that. Right there…bend me over..."

Delta nearly dropped the spatula in his paw as the doe closed her eyes, continuing to grind her body against his. She let her head fall back as her mouth opened. She continued to make a few pleasurable noises before stopping.

She opened her eyes and smiled as if nothing had happened. She then released the canine from her grasp and skipped over to a table and took a seat.

Delta stood in stun silence as he began to lean forward. He had a rather amusing look on his face and Trisha giggled. Happy to see how she affected the poor dog.

"So what's for breakfast?" Trisha asked, snapping Delta back into reality.

"Oh, umm…pancakes ok? Not much else...didn't think I would be having company over," Delta said as he returned to his cooking duties.

"Surprise!" Trisha announced.

"Yeah some supr…" Delta began but the words trailed off as he turned to look at Trisha. The doe gave him a confused look and wondered what had caught his tongue.

Delta however was too busy looking right at Trisha. She had crossed her legs and had her chin one paw as she leaned her elbow on the table.

To Trisha this was just a comfortable sitting position.

To Delta though it was like looking at a work of art. Here was the brown doe he had been pursing for so long. In his kitchen in just a long shirt. Her ears were raised and her bright blue eyes shimmered as they looked directly at him.

"You ok?" Trisha asked in concern.

"Yeah, just enjoying the view," Delta said as he took in Trisha.

She giggled slightly and adjusted herself. The collar of her shirt was rather large for her body so one of her shoulder became exposed, showing off her dark brown fur.

"You're a dork," She teased.

"Sticks and stones!" Delta said as his focus returned to the stove.

"So about last night…"Trisha began. A sudden tension filling the room.

"Yeah, had a feeling that may come up," Delta muttered.

Trisha chuckled and then fell silent. Trying to find the right words to say. She was suddenly a little worried. She hadn't found herself in a situation like this before.

She actually really liked this painted dog and felt he had feelings for her as well. They had a lot of fun together and enjoyed one another's company. Things just felt a little off though.

"How about this," Delta began as he strolled over to the table and slid a plate piled high with pancakes in front of the hungry doe. "Instead of being all awkward and weird about things we just come out and say what we want to say."

"I am dating you to get to Atom," Trisha said jokingly as she gave Delta a sly wink.

The canine roared with laughter as he took a seat next to Trisha, "You wouldn't be the first."

Trisha scooped a pancake onto her plate and pour some syrup which was placed in front of her. She then took a bite of the fluffy food and smiled. She took a moment to savor the sweetness before swallowing. She then looked right at Delta and grinned, "Want to date?" She asked in a rather forward manner.

"Sounds good," Delta said quickly, not even needing time to think about it.

Trisha chuckled and shook her head in disbelief.

"What? "Delta asked as he took a pancake and put it on his plate.

"I thought all canines were alike!"

"First off," Delta began as he cut up his pancakes, "Speciest!"

"Nope, doesn't count, I'm dating a canine so I can say what I want!"

Delta rolled his eyes, "Second what did you mean by all canines are alike?"

"I just thought, well with all the trouble Judy had snagging Nick and all," Trisha began.

"Oh there is a reason behind all that," Delta chuckled.

"Because he is a fox?"

"No because he is an idiot!" Delta pointed out.

It was Trisha's turn to burst out laughing. The bunny had to hold her sides at one point. The way Delta had hurled the insult just made it sound like a commonly known fact which made it so much better.

"So how do painted dogs work then?" Trisha asked curiously. She had to admit that the species was a bit of a mystery. Well certain parts were. She liked to think she had their mating habits down, but she wouldn't mind continuing to study that aspect further.

"You will just have to see," Delta said as he took a bite of his breakfast and smirked at the doe.

"Aww, come on now! Spill it!" Trisha demanded as she prodded Delta in the side. The canine took a moment to scoot away only to be pursued by the doe.

"Oi! Trying to eat here!" Delta laughed as he finally just stood up and gave the bunny a playful glare while baring his teeth.

Trisha felt something inside her begin to stir as she looked at Delta's sharp teeth. Thoughts of the dogs mouth wrapped around her body filled her mind and she suddenly felt hungry for something else.

The bunny thought for a moment and then smirked. There was actually nothing stopping her from satisfying that particular hunger. Delta and she were now dating and they were both adults. Why couldn't they have fun at breakfast?

Delta must have picked up what was going through Trisha's mind as he suddenly changed tactics.

"Trisha!" Delta said firmly as he took steps away from the doe as she hopped from her seat and began to slowly stomp in his direction. A look of determination on her face.

"I have work!" Delta barked with a laugh as he raised his paws and tilted his head. Trying his best to look serious but the chuckles gave him away as his lips cracked into a smile. "No! Down!"

The doe shook her head as she grinned evilly. She walked around the small table that separated them and put her paws on the bottom of her shirt and pulled up. The overly large shirt which had protected her fur was now gone and exposed Trisha's bare body.

Delta looked down at the shapely figure of the fierce bunny before him. A carnal voice inside him told the canine to attack. To ravage the bunny. To give in to the does commands and make her scream. Delta however did his best to keep control. Trisha didn't make it easy.

"Oh for fucks sake…"Delta said as he surrendered and stopped. Trisha squealed happily and bent her knees and then propelled herself to the painted dog. The doe collided with her canine and pressed her lips to his as she wrapped her strong legs around his waist.

Though Delta had put up a playful fight he instantly welcomed the doe into his arms as he wrapped one arm around Trisha's waist and ran the other over her ears. The bunny let out a soft purr into the kiss, egging the predator on.

There was no build up or slow feeling session. No that wasn't what these two were about. Both of them knew what they wanted and what they wanted to do to the other. If things got to crazy all Delta had to do was tell Trisha to stop. Delta knew his place. The brown doe had proven time and time again she liked pushing things and wouldn't back down. Which was actually a major turn on for the canine.

The pairs lips opened up and they began to allow their tongues to explore one another. Delta forcing himself into Trisha's mouth, she welcomed the intrusion and threw herself right back into Delta.

As the pair continued to keep their lips pressed together as if they were providing lifesaving breaths Delta took a few steps back in the kitchen.

After working with many different mammals and learning how to read some Delta was confident he knew what Trisha was like. The predator took a chance and suddenly slammed Trisha against the kitchen wall and pressed himself against her small body.

Trisha pulled away from the kiss and let out a pained groan followed by a laugh. "Yes," she whispered as she grit her teeth.

Delta reached up and ran a paw up one of Trisha's ears which caused the small doe to moan happily. What Delta did next Trisha had never thought of but wished she had. The paw around her ear suddenly squeezed as it came down. It wasn't a hard squeeze at first but she soon felt a pressure. A wonderfully pleasurable pressure.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh…" She shuddered as she opened her mouth. She wrapped her paws around her painted dog's neck and held tight, almost like she was begging for more.

Delta let out a low growl from deep in his throat which drove the doe mad. The pressure from her ear, the carnal noises, and the pain that felt oh so good, all of it was just a buffet of wonderful feelings the bunny had not experienced before all at once.

Trisha was grateful for this canine to have stumbled into her life. She had kind of been blowing him off over the past couple of weeks. His advances though cute were most of the time brushed to the side while Trisha pursued a certain gray bunny.

Now though Trisha was swooning from all the emotions mixing inside her. The want, the need, the passion. All of it caused Trisha to wonder why she hadn't just gone with the painted-

Her thoughts were interrupted when Delta upped the ante. Trisha felt a pair of sharp canines drag across her neck. Where was this last night? This was amazing. Trisha gasped which caused Delta to loosen his muzzle from the doe's neck which earned him a soft whine. "No! Keep going!" she whispered with a laugh.

Delta bit down. This wasn't a little nibble or dragging his teeth. No this was something far better.

"How the fuck do you know all this?!" Trisha groaned as she felt a pain around her collar bone.

"Predatoril instincts," Delta said as she pulled away slightly.

"I love it!" Trisha said happily as she pressed her lips to the canines and invaded his mouth with her tongue. She then pulled away and winked, "more!"

Delta growled which got Trisha to shiver with arousal. The painted dog pulled away from the wall slightly only to slam the bunny against it once more. Her head hit the solid surface and she groaned.

"Fuck what the hell?! Is he reading my mind?" Trisha thought as the canine brought his muzzle down on Trisha's shoulder and bit down.

The does eyes went wide as she suddenly patted the canine on the back of his head. She grabbed his fur and pulled but held his head close at the same time. The doe shut her eyes and let out a loud gasp.

"Yes yes yes," She said as she felt her skin pierced by a pair of sharp teeth.

Delta had to use all his strength to pull away.

"I'm sorry, kinda of lost," He didn't have a chance to finish his words as Trisha slapped him across the face.

Delta was worried he had gone too far but watched in a stun arousal as Trisha looked at her shoulder and then back at her canine. Her bright blue eyes sparkling.

"The other! Now!" she ordered as she brought the canines muzzle to her other shoulder and began to laugh with anticipation.

"Oh my gosh I am dating a crazy bunny!" Delta thought. As his teeth sunk into her fur and the bunny shook with pleasure as delta had another thought, "I love it!"

"Harder!" Trisha would said quickly and the canine would apply more pressure. "Harder…" deltas teeth dug into the doe's skin. "…harder..." Trisha whispered as she held the predator tight, waiting to find that boundary. Delta's eyes widened as he felt his canines dig what he felt was a little too deep into the does soft fur. He panicked and worried he had just maimed his bunny.

"Ooooohhhhhh," Trisha shuddered in deltas arms as she held her partner close. Delta tried to pull away but felt the bunny tighten her grip. He loosened his canines on her skin and gave her a gentle lick, trying to clean what he thought was a serious wound.

Trisha finally released Delta who looked at the doe apologetically. His eyes going to her shoulder. He squinted as he examined the spot and noticed a few divots in the fur from his teeth.

To him it looked like a serious gaping wound when it was merely a small nip. The doe however felt it was something far more wonderful.

"Trisha I am so sorry, I don't know what-I"

"I think I just came…"Trisha giggled as she began to bring her hips against Delta.

The painted dog froze. He had fully expected the conversation to focus around his stupidity or how sorry he was for hurting the doe. Trisha however was more focus on her own arousal.

"Are you serious?!" Delta asked as he licked his lips instinctively. Trisha's eyes widened as she watched a small drop of blood on the dogs teeth disappear as he cleaned his mouth with his tongue. The canine winced slightly, disliking the taste. Much too popular belief the predators of Zootopia had grown to dislike the taste of blood. Some mammals feared it would cause them to go into a frenzy but it was the exact opposite.

"Okay now I am sure I just did!" she said evilly as she let her eye lids droop. Delta looked over at the new wound and winced once more, noticing the dark brown fur with a few droplets of crimson. Trisha giggled at the canine's reaction.

She actually thought it was kind of sweet. Delta showing that though he could be very rough he was still focused in Trisha's safety. She thought it was like having the best of both worlds.

"Oh I have had far worse," Trisha said as she glanced in the direction that Delta was looking.

"Really now? Get bitten often?" Delta asked accusingly.

"No, just gotten cuts that were deeper than that at work," Trisha teased "you know for a predator you bite like a prey."

Delta's ears twitched as the bunny attempted to wound his pride.

"Oh really?" He asked with a growl.

Trisha beamed and nodded her head, her dark brown ears flopping down.

"Well while this is all out in the open, for someone who acts like she is tough you sure ae delicate," the painted dog teased.

"What was that?" Trisha asked as she gritted her teeth.

"Just saying, it was like playing with a dainty..."Delta began.

A fire began to come to life in Trisha's bright blue eyes as she knew where the car one was going.

"Don't you dare!" she ordered.

"Little..."

"I swear I will break you..."

"Flower"

Trisha let her strong legs fall from deltas waist as she held onto his neck for support. Without looking away from his eyes she put her strong feet against the wall and suddenly pushed off. The canine was caught completely off guard and they were propelled away from the wall. Delta lost his balance and fell to the floor with a thud.

The look in Trisha's eyes was the same most preds got when eyeing some juicy beetle steak. She had a hunger which made even Delta shake nervously.

Trisha leaned down over her canine prey and let out her own growl.

"Say that again," She ordered as she grabbed paw fills of deltas shirt. She leaned even closer and rubbed her bare chest against the fabric of his work shirt which just incited more carnal feelings in the bunny.

"You're a flower," Delta said with a smug look. He then thought for a moment, "petals."

"So you have chosen death!" Trisha said with a playful growl.

"Least I die looking at something beautiful!"

Trisha blushed, "well maybe not death, just a light maiming."

"Still worth it," Delta said smugly.

"We shall see," Trisha whispered as she brought her mouth down to the canine's neck and suddenly bit down. It wasn't a hard bite but it got the point across. Delta yelped in surprise and pushed against Trisha. Trying to free himself from her hold. The bunny pulled away only to press her paws against the dogs shoulders, forcing him down.

* * *

*Begin Explicit Scene*

"I said: We shall see!" Trisha growled as she leaned down with a savagery in her eyes.

"I need an adult!" Delta laughed as he watched the doe grin evilly.

"Your gonna need a medic!" Trisha shot back.

The way Trisha spoke made Delta grin as he allowed the excitement to course through his body. Little did Trisha know this was how Delta liked things. He grew up around confident females, his boss was a female, and one of his favorite officers was a female. All of them just gave off an air of authority.

So when he heard Trisha shout back at him with that same confident tone, he started to feel himself go wild.

The canine let loose and allowed his instincts to just take over. He suddenly grabbed one of Trisha's wrists and then thrusted his waist upward. Trisha was caught off guard as Delta rolled to one side, tossing the bunny to the floor.

Trisha laughed as she looked up at the canine who suddenly towered over her, putting a paw to her throat and pressing down. He had learned early on that Trisha enjoyed this sensation but of course made sure she still had some air.

Trisha began to write on the floor as she let out a pleased gasp for air. She put a paw on deltas wrist and squeezed gently. Signaling she wanted more. The canine was slightly distracted though as he worked his belt off. He managed to unclip the buckle but doing all this with just one paw was taking too long.

Trisha let out an impatient groan and suddenly squeezed at deltas wrist rather hard, "move!" She ordered. The canine released his grip on the doe and smirked as he watched her sit up suddenly and lean towards his waist.

Delta was somewhat confused but none the less impressed at how Trisha handled the canine's pants. She ignored the belt and the top button. Instead she reached towards the other buttons of his groin area. Most BDU pants were held closed with buttons instead of zippers. There were several reasons behind this but Delta always teased Atom it was because buttons were harder to get open and the ZPD uniform procurement team secretly hated them.

"They don't have to be off," Trisha began as she undid the button just below the top one, her paw then moved to the button below that. The does d quickly and soon she had all the buttons except the top one undone. Delta suddenly understood what Trisha was doing and he grinned. "It just has to be out!" Trisha declared as she reached into the canine's pants and gripped a rather hard object in front of her.

The doe smiled up at her predator as her eyes hit the light just right. Delta couldn't help but get lost in the sea of blue that filled that pretty does eyes.

She looked especially cute. So sweet and innocent.

Trisha however could only act innocent for a short while though. The doe was craving something and she wasn't in the waiting mood.

As Delta thought about how sweet the doe looked Trisha slowly pulled out his unsheathed member and licked at the tip.

"Okay, so innocents right out the window," The canine thought as he watched Trisha close her eyes and wrapped her lips around delta a d slowly slid him into her mouth. "Ah, like crashing out the window!"

Trisha let her ears droop as she began to Bob her head back and forth, taking a little bit of the painted dog into her mouth before sliding her back once more. This went in for a few seconds until Trisha couldn't take it any longer. The doe opened her mouth wide and let the canine fall from her lips.

She gave the canine towering over her a seductive smile as she slowly laid back on the floor. She arched her back a little and moved her strong looking legs, revealing her sex which was ready to receive Delta.

Like Trisha the canine wasted no time as he grabbed the does brown hips and pulled her upwards. He prodded at her entrance for just a moment which caused his partner to let out a series of soft moans.

Please that he had done enough to earn her Delta simply slid himself into Trisha's. There was still a lot of resistance, like a whole lot. Trisha however enjoyed the feeling as she stretched to accept the predator.

The bunny had admitted to Delta the night before she had never been with a canine, nor another species for that matter in this kind of capacity. She of course had been a little hesitant at first when things started. However she was quick to jump on the canine train when they got into the full swing of things.

She had a feeling that Delta had just ruined all other bucks for her. She hadn't really thought if herself ever finding a long term relationship before, after Delta though she felt she may not have e much if a choice, she didn't want to go back.

Trisha continued to arch her waist upwards as she assisted Delta in his mission of completely screwing the brains out of her. Sure they could have gone for that nice morning wake up sex. Or maybe a passionate shower together. This however was so much more fun. Trisha let out a series of soft moans as she felt Delta slam into her.

She shut her eyes as she allowed herself to be taken. She let her emotions take control and her mind demanded that she just lose herself. The brown bun y slowly slid a paw over her chest as she began to massage her fur.

Delta watched from above and grinned. Watching his bunny run her paws over her soft fur excited him. He wanted more though. He wanted to see just how far he could push Trisha this time.

The canine had an evil idea as he examined the doe who was writhing in pleasure. His eyes going up and down the bunnies body as she was thrown one way only to push herself back another.

He decided he wanted to take a chance and try something new. Knowing he would either get scolded later or become a kind of God in the eyes of the doe.

Delta released Trisha's waist and then grabbed both her arms and pressed them to her sides. Trisha's eyes opened as she felt Delta holding her tight. She tried to move her arms at first but it was no use, she soon surrendered to the canine though as he gave her another quick thrust. Her eyes winced only to shoot back open when she felt herself being lifted.

Delta was not the strongest mammal in the ZPD but he still had to maintain a certain level of fitness. The tactical teams had weight requirements for their mammals along with lifting standards. If need be Delta would be required to carry Atom out of any scenario using many different lifts. The training had paid off and the painted dog's muscles had strengthened through the years.

The painted dog decided to put his body to the test right then. He was please when he lifted Trisha up with ease. Most bunnies weren't that heavy to begin with and Trisha was no exception. It took Delta very little effort to lift the small doe off the floor.

Trisha gave out a surprised gasp as she felt her body leave the floor behind. She opened her eyes to look at Delta who had an evil glint on his eyes.

"What are you doing now?" she asked with some trepidation but her eyes showed excitement.

Delta didn't speak. Instead he gripped the doe a little harder which earned him a surprised squeak. Trisha began to wonder what her partner had planned but didn't have to wait long for an explanation. Delta used his strength to lift Trisha away from him. She began to whine as she felt him leave her body, only to scream in surprise when he brought her back down on his member with such force she thought she may get torn in half.

"Oh fuck!" Trisha screamed as her tongue hung out of her mouth. She couldn't explain it but the pleasure was amazing. She was in heaven as all these emotions filled her thoughts. She loved the alight pain, the feeling of being used, the lack of control, the carnal noises Delta made, all of it was pure ecstasy to the bunny.

Delta continued using Trisha as some kind of toy as he moved her away from him only to bring her back down, holding her above the ground while he did so.

Trisha shook her head as she lost control. She began to beg the canine to continue. Pleading with him not to stop. Delta gave into his Trisha's commands and continued.

"Delta! What….oh fuck…where did….oh gods!" Trisha wanted to know so much. Where was this coming from? How did he know about this? What website had he visited that gave him this idea? She wasn't able to form a coherent sentence so she just decided to let out a series of squeaks instead as she closed her eyes.

It didn't take long for Trisha to come close to her first orgasm. The painted dog had been relentless in his attack and gave no signs of letting up. Trisha felt her legs start to buck and she tried to control her body but soon she felt herself shake from a mighty orgasm that tore through her.

The fact that Delta didn't stop during all this just caused another orgasm to build up. This one came quickly as Trisha just let her head fall back.

The doe could feel the tips of her ears brushing the floor. It was the only part of her on the floor now.

Delta meanwhile had his eyes on his prey. A low growl coming from his throat which caused Trisha to curse and then let out a purr. The way her body reacted to his was amazing to the canine. Every little thrust incited some kind of noise from the doe who was not keeping anything inside.

Her chest would Bob back and forth with every thrust and Delta enjoyed the view. Soon though he could feel himself growing fatigued and his body gave off the warning signs if he kept this up he would be spent. He didn't care though. He wasn't looking to go for a marathon, just a quick jog. So what if he reached the finish line? This wasn't a one night stand. This was something more. He had a feeling that there would be a lot more mornings like this in the future.

Delta looked over his shoulder as he gave Trisha another strong thrust. He scowled at the clock and realized he would need to finish very soon if he stood a chance of picking up Atom for work on time.

Delta looked back down at the doe who was in the throes of another climax. He was impressed how well Trisha was taking him. The night before had started with a little trepidation and slow movements. Now though the doe was bucking her hips against Delta. He was no longer the one doing the thrusts. No, Trisha was adding her own movements into the session. If he didn't know any better he thought he saw a sly smirk on her face. In-between gasps of course.

"So you think you can take it?" Delta asked as he felt himself start to swell.

"Take what…oh shit…what am I taking?" Trisha asked as she opened her eyes only to close them once more.

Delta slowed but kept the doe up in the air as he began to press his member against the doe, his knot stopping at her mound and pressing against her.

Trisha could feel the swollen mass down between her legs and she bit her lip.

"It's no big deal, I can just take care of things later" Delta admitted. Last night the doe hadn't managed to get herself to take the knot. Delta had made a few cute comments but in the end reassured her it was alright. It wasn't a big deal to him. He didn't want to hurt her. Trisha of course hadn't left the painted dog hanging last night. She showed off some serious skills with her tongue and had the canine melting in her paws in no time.

Today was different though. Trisha took in a deep breath and smirked up at the painted dog. "Can I at least be knotted with my back on something?"

Delta laughed as he looked at the doe's expression and nodded. He listed her up so she was resting against his chest. He then waddled over to the hall that led to his room, his dog hood still inside the doe which earned him a few small moans.

He carried the pleased doe to his bed room, feeling it would be better for her to have some confront on his bed. Trisha giggled when she was gently placed in the bed, close to the head board.

She began to wiggle her hips and moaned, building up some heat between the two. Delta watched and let out a soft growl.

Trisha opened her eyes and looked right into deltas. She then took a deep breath and stuck her tongue out to one side of her mouth.

"You still close?" She asked sweetly.

Delta shrugged and the doe rolled her eyes. "Well then get close and tell me when okay?"

Delta said nothing. Decided if to have a little fun and surprise the bunny. He slammed into her with such force it caused Trisha to throw her head back and let out a grunt.

After another minute or so of thrusting Delta felt a familiar feeling. He began to paint as his movements became more sporadic and less controlled.

"Close!" He growled.

Trisha out her paws against the head boards and braced herself.

"Knot me!" she said quickly, bracing herself.

Delta slowed his movements and began to prod at Trisha's entrance, try as he might he just couldn't get her to open up and take the knot.

"I said knot me!" Trisha barked.

"I am trying!" Delta laughed. "Someone won't let me in though!"

"I thought you were a cop!" she teased.

Delta gave her an odd look as he tried again. Trisha winced and shook her head. "Enough with the soft stuff!"

"This ain't soft!" Delta shot back.

"Break the damn door down and get in there!" Trisha yelled.

Delta let out a growl as he charged at Trisha with his erect member. He slammed himself against her and gave one last thrust.

"That's deep!" Trisha blurted out as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh shit!" Delta said as he began to panic.

"No! Keep it in! Oh my gods!" Trisha said as she arched her back and winced. "It hurts so fucking good! Please don't move!"

Delta felt himself begin to swell inside Trisha. The way she spoke, how her body reacted to his, the cute little noises she made, all of it just caused his climax to arrive that much faster.

Trisha let out a soft shudder as her lower lip quivered. Delta meanwhile was panting heavily as he looked up at the ceiling. He felt himself throb inside the bunny which caused Trisha to let out a series of soft gasps.

After a moment or two of silence Delta looked down at Trisha. The doe opened her own eyes and stared up at her canine. They both smiled at first then as one busted out with laughter. Every once and a while Delta would swell slightly as more of his seed filled the doe. This could cause Trisha to wince only for her to return to her giggling state a few seconds later.

"Why are we laughing?" Trisha finally asked as she wiped a tear from her eye.

Delta shrugged as his shoulders shook, the canine failing to keep his own laughter hidden.

"Maybe because that was so freaking awesome we are delirious?" Delta finally suggested.

"Sure let's go with that!" The bunny said as she scrunched her nose. She felt the knot inside her twitch slightly as she let out another surprised gasp. "How long is it gonna do that?!"

Delta shrugged, "Could be a bit. Normally only takes a few minutes for the swelling to go down, however since you're a bunny it may take a little longer…you know…since you're smaller..."

"I prefer the term fun sized!" Trisha teased.

"Well you are fun, that's for sure," Delta said as he ran a paw over Trisha's stomach. The bunny reached over and grabbed his paw and gave it a gentle squeeze.

*End Explicit Scene*

* * *

"What time do you get out of work?" Trisha asked softly.

Delta shrugged, "No idea sadly..."

"Well that stinks, was hoping to get you drunk at the bar again!"

"What about ice cream?"

Trisha tilted her head slightly in mild confusion. "Ice cream?"

"Yeah, Atom and I sometimes go for ice cream after work. Would ya wanna join us? Maybe pick you up at the 10-7?"

"Can I have a sundae?!" Trisha asked excitedly. "I love sundaes!"

"Only if you share!" Delta chuckled as he leaned down and gave the bunny a sweet kiss on the nose.

Trisha pouted and shook her head, "Sorry, I don't share my sundae!"

"Not even with me?" The canine chuckled.

"Nope!"

"Sharing is caring!"

"Double nope!" Trisha laughed.

A few hours later and a few districts over another prey and pred couple was busy enjoying their own day off. After spending much of the morning recovering from the previous night's activities Judy and Nick had finally taken a chance to enjoy themselves.

Judy hadn't had the best of mornings waking up. Constantly berating her fox for allowing her to get that drunk. She also spent a good part of it in the shower running cool water over her aching body.

Nick however seemed to be enjoying what he called "Whisper Yelling". Which involved Judy whispering as loudly as she could a series of curses and insults. Only to wince her eyes and rub her temple.

Judy had wanted to spend the day moving stuff to their new apartment however she just didn't have the energy to do so. She texted Trisha a few times, hoping her brown bunny roommate would give her the motivation she needed. Trisha however was oddly quiet for the majority of the day.

Nick made a few suggestions about her whereabouts. Most of them involving a certain painted dog. One of the suggestions though was Trisha and Atom had finally run away together.

Judy giggled at the prospect, knowing full well that Trisha would probably scar the poor painted dog for life if that did happen.

Without Trisha to motivate her and the urge to just lay around and relax overwhelming her Judy decided that the big move could wait a day. After all Bogo had said she needed to recover and relax after her ordeal at the hands of Jim who had just recently walked into the picture. The dark gray rabbit who was responsible for a spring of crimes years ago was also responsible for mammal napping Judy just a few days before.

Judy had mixed feelings at first about staying away from work. She understood it was for her own mental health. Knowing that a mad mammal like Jim was out on the loose while she lazed around wasn't exactly a good feeling however.

Fortunately Judy had Nick to keep her mind off things, and not just in the bed room. The fox stepped up his game and took it upon himself to keep Judy happy both physically and mentally. Which was why he had suggested a day at the beach.

Sure it was bright out and Judy was still nursing one hell of a hangover. Nick however thought that the fresh air could do his bunny some good. He was right for the most part.

Though a very large pain at first, Judy soon enjoyed breathing in the warm fresh air as the couple strolled from their taxi to the sandy beaches of Zootopia's southern borders.

The pair got a few odd glances here and there. Judy couldn't help but notice a slight divide on the beach. Most prey species seem to be either absent or keeping to themselves in their own groups. There were of course a few predator mammals hanging around. Some splashing through the water or sunning themselves on the warm sand.

Judy was very please however when she spotted a large tiger playing with his own cub along with a small Thompson gazelle child. The tiger was building a sand castle with the pair and smiling at his sons and friends antics. Her police training though picked up the tiger nervously looking around every once and a while, checking for threats to the children before returning his attention to playing.

Judy and Nick found a spot not far from the sand castle and began to set up camp. Nick awkwardly threw out a towel and tried to lay it flat in the sand. His cast getting in the way. The fox cursed to himself but finally managed to set things up. Pleased with his handy work he turned around just in time to see Judy taking her shirt off to reveal her swim top.

Though not very revealing Nick felt she looked stunning in her swim wear. Judy hadn't remembered packing anything to wear to the beach when they had visited her apartment. Nick had suggested maybe Trisha had tossed it in when Judy wasn't looking. Judy however had a feeling a certain fox was the culprit however.

Once Judy had folded her clothing up and placed it in a bag they had brought along the doe stretched her arms up which caused her to show off her fit figure. Nick suddenly noticed that a few eyes had fallen on his partner and took a step closer. He couldn't explain why but he felt he had to be in close proximity to his bunny at all times now to fend off potential problems.

Judy peaked an eye open and giggled as she noticed Nick glaring at a group of bucks in the distance. All of them standing tall with their ears up, their eyes falling on Judy.

"Keeping the local riff raff at bay slick?" She asked playfully as she trotted over to her fox and began to undo his button up shirt.

Nick looked down at Judy and smirked, "Just making sure they don't buck my partner."

"Your ZPD partner?" Judy asked as she tilted her head and smiled.

"No, MY partner," The fox whispered and gave Judy a wink which caused her tail to flick happily.

Once Nick's shirt was unbuttoned she helped the fox get it off. The cast being a constant problem. Judy had asked when the cast would be removed several times. Nick always shrugged and said he would take care of it soon.

With their clothing stored away and the pair now just in their swim wear, Judy and Nick laid down on the large beach towel and allowed the rays of the sun wash over them. The pair both aid on their backs and put some sunglasses on. It wasn't enough for the poor doe however and she soon retrieved a small towel and placed it over her eyes. Nick making a few comments about the doe being into blindfolds which earned him a flick on the ear.

The couple began to talk lazily about a few topics. They both wondered how Trisha's night had gone, Judy letting slip the doe had received a series of messages from the brown bunny. Nick chuckled and made a comment about Delta needing to call in today.

"He should take it easy anyways, did you see his limp?" Judy pipped up at the memory of her two favorite painted dogs limping into the 10-7 last night.

"Yeah, Atom was sporting a few cuts himself," Nick trailed off.

"Why would anyone do that to them? Or to other officers?" Judy asked nervously.

"Sometimes folks focus on the bad and forget the good the ZPD has done. That news report probably just added fuel to the fire," Nick suggested.

"Yeah, I would try not to worry about it though," A familiar voice said softly from just behind Judy. The doe froze and she felt a cold shiver run down her spine, "They will think you are all heroes again soon enough."

Judy felt like she was in some kind of nightmare as her mind recognized the voice.

Judy looked over at Nick who had a shocked look on his face. The fox and bunny couple slowly sat up and then turned to look behind them.

A dark gray rabbit sat on a towel just behind Nick and Judy. His paws buried in the sand as he began to make a small sand castle.

"I mean that is if you save the day of course," Jim said evilly as he looked from his sand castle to the stunned couple sitting in front of him.

* * *

 **Hey everyone!**

 **Well hope that solves the Trisha problem for some of you. Still cant believe we have some hold outs worried that she is the biggest threat to Nick and Judy. The buck sitting on that blanket at the beach though, he is the biggest threat! Some of you seemed to need a reminder! :P**

 **Wanted to take a moment to thank _Fox in the hen house_. For his continued help when it comes to this story. Also for his A/N in _A Bunny Can Go Savage_. For those of you who don't know. Trisha Rose is my O/C. She started here at the 10-7 (Also mine!) bar scene a while back. Thats why I dont have to acknowledge anyone when I put her in here. :D **

**The reason we both have to put these A/N about the ownership is I keep getting folks demanding to thank Fox for the use of Trisha. I also get random requests to ask him to use his character or how I got to use the character. That one was like a slap in the face which Fox and I had a laugh about later on. However I hope with all this we will clear the confusion up.**

 **Now to add to the confusion though: You all need to go read Fox's story: _A Bunny Can Go Savage!_ Especially because the next chapter is gonna have someone super awesome with bright blue eyes! **

**I also want to give a special shout out to Floreloyx. One of my amazing friends on here who has recently returned. I wont go into detail Floreloyx but I just want you to know how happy I am that you are okay!**


	44. Jim an old friend

Jim, an old friend.

"You!" Judy nearly shouted as her muscles tensed. The urge to jump the buck and force his head into the sand was overwhelming. Judy was about to attack but froze when Nick put a paw on her shoulder.

She looked over at her fox in confusion. Why would he stop her? He must know who this was. This was the buck that nearly killed her. The one who had caused so much trouble. The one who had a team of snipers hold her and a whole café…

Judy began to look around and shuddered at the realization that Jim would probably have done the same thing here. She looked around and noticed there were several vantage points for a sniper team. A few buildings lined the beach and had a perfect view of the whole area. If a mammal was skilled enough they would be able to cause a great deal of damage before anyone even noticed.

"Me!" Jim mimicked Judy as he continued to work on his sand castle. Only giving the couple half of his attention. "So you look well, it's been a whi-"

"Don't you even try that with me," Judy growled as she glared at Jim.

"First off: Rude!" Jim said as he looked up from his sand castle. "Second off: wasn't talking to you."

Judy gave him a confused look and then followed the rabbits gaze. He was looking right at Nick. The fox didn't break eye contact with Jim. Which raised a great deal of red flags to Judy.

"Nick what is he talking about?" Judy asked as she tried to read her fox. Normally Nick kept his emotions in check and would always find ways to keep mammals from figuring out. This time however, he was slipping. Judy noticed a fire in his eyes.

"I was hoping my mind was just playing tricks on me when I saw the video…" Nick growled. "The thought that someone like you was really back..."

"Aww come on Nick. That anyway to treat an old friend?" Jim asked with an evil smirk.

Judy looked back at Jim and then to Nick who had a rather reserved look on his face. The fire however was still burning in those green eyes of his.

"You haven't- "Jim began but was cut off by Nick.

"I know whatever he is calling himself today from years ago," Nick said angrily as he closed his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to look at Judy right now.

Judy felt her blood go cold as her ears fell onto her back.

 _No….it…not him, Nick_ , Judy thought. She knew that Nick knew a lot of criminals and con mammals from his hustling days. He was a changed mammal though. He was a better fox now. However, the fact that he knew this monster in front of Judy was just something she had trouble stomaching.

"It's Jim now," the buck said casually as he sat back and leaned against his paws which were now behind him.

"Jim…" Judy growled.

Jim chuckled. "What did I go by back then?"

"Doesn't matter..." Nick growled.

"No, it was something good. I liked it…hold on!" Jim then produced an old phone from his back. It was a dated touch screen. One of the first Judy assumed. Why the buck had this fossil was beyond her. She had a feeling it couldn't be good though.

"Ah here we go!" Jim said as he flipped through the phone and came to a message. "'Evan, someone must have tipped the ZPD off. I don't know what exactly you did but watch out. Mikey has been taken in for questioning so if you are meeting with him'…well you get the idea."

Judy felt her jaw fall open as she began to put everything together. Of course, there were a few questions in her mind. She turned to look at Nick who had his eyes shut.

"You remember that message Nick?" Jim asked happily. "The night they almost got me. They would have probably had me if not for this message. Managed to give them the slip. Well, almost."

"No! No no no!" Judy began to feel the tears form in her eyes.

"I mean Bogo and Tops almost got me. Had a blast tha-." Judy couldn't control herself. All these new facts. Nick knew Jim. They had been…no, they _weren't_ friends. No!

Judy felt the rage take over and she did the only thing she could think of. She lunged at Jim who began to laugh. She made her paw form into a fist and threw it at the buck with all her might. Jim fell to the ground with a black eye, he was still laughing though. Judy wanted to find a way to stop him from enjoying himself. She didn't care if she was ZPD and she had to maintain some level of control. She wanted to end this mammal's laughter... or maybe something else.

Nick however stopped her. Or at least he tried. Judy felt his paws grab her by the shoulders and drag her away. She snarled at him and tried to throw his paws off his shoulder. She looked at Nick with fire in her eyes. Right now, he was no better than Jim. He had helped this monster. He had warned him of the ZPD trap. The trap that turned into a chase. A chase that ended horribly for many officers.

Jim was chuckling still and Judy focused her attention on the buck who for some odd reason held his phone high in the air. Judy was catching her breath and looked down at the scumbag she had just slugged. She then looked at his phone. Jim took notice of this and smirked. He then looked at the phone before staring at Judy.

"Wanna see a magic trick?" Jim asked.

He didn't wait for an answer. He dropped the phone from his paw and it hit the sand. Judy looked at the device and was a little confused. She then heard a yelp behind her and turned to examine the source.

It was the tiger with the two young mammals. The one that had been happily throwing the cub into the air moments before. Judy's eyes went wide in terror as she noticed a purple mark on the back of the tiger's head.

"Dad you ok?" asked the small cub as his friend looked at the large predator anxiously.

"Something must have stung me…" the tiger said as he rubbed the spot covered in purple.

"I would say a mammal his size has about 25 seconds before it takes effect." Jim said matter-of-factly.

"You son of a bitch!" Judy growled as she tried to charge at Jim once more but Nick held her back. She felt suddenly angry, not at Jim, but at Nick. She turned to look at the fox whose eyes went wide at the rage suddenly focused at him.

Part of it was obviously Judy's condition but there was something else there. Nick was smart and knew exactly what had brought on this anger. It wasn't the fact he was holding her back. It was the new knowledge that had just been given to her.

"But wait! That's not all!" Jim said as he caught both the officers' attention. He aimed his paw at the tiger and made a shape of a gun. He pulled a fake trigger and made a playful bang noise.

Judy watched as a dart suddenly hit the tiger who yelped. The large predator began to sway slowly before falling to the sand. A few passersby witness the event and suddenly came running. Questions began to pop up from the crowd who tried to figure out what was happening.

"Wait…that purple stuff!" shouted a lamb who suddenly ran forward and grabbed the two younger mammal's paws and pulled them back.

"Wait! That's my dad! Dad get up!"

Judy wanted to step in but had a feeling Jim wouldn't let her. She turned to look at Jim who had a satisfied looking smirk on his face.

"Pretty cool huh?" he said smugly. He then put his paw down and strolled over to Judy's and Nick's bag. Both mammals stood silently and watched the buck. The villain had shown his paw. Somewhere nearby was a sniper who now had everyone on the beach hostage.

Judy decided to bide her time. To wait to see what Jim had planned before she could act. She didn't even think about Nick. He wasn't her partner right now. He was…well…he was something else.

Jim reached into the bag and rummaged around before finding what he was looking for. The buck then pulled out the two officers badges. Judy felt her heart hit the bottom of her stomach. She couldn't stand the thought of the rabbit taking those from them. They may be trinkets to some but to her they were everything.

Jim smiled at Nick and nodded. He tossed the two shields over to the fox who caught them.

"Those should help you," he said as he picked up their bag as if it was his own.

"Help with what?" Judy growled as Nick remained silent, the fox studying Jim.

"Well access to the rainforest district control center of course," Jim said simply. Both officers gave the buck a confused look and he rolled his eyes. "I will be quick, I mean you two are on a time constraint."

Judy could hear sirens in the distance and suddenly she had a hope that if the ZPD showed up they may have a way of stopping Jim from getting away.

"I have it on good authority that there will be a fire in that district soon..."

"The fire suppression system will stop that in seconds," Judy said proudly. The idea of thwarting Jim so easily was too much and Judy couldn't help but shoot down his idea.

"Yeah…about that...not sure you are gonna want to use that water."

"What did you do Jim?" Nick asked. It had been the first time the fox had spoken in a while and Judy noted the coldness in the vulpine words.

"Short answer," Jim began as he took a few steps closer to the couple, "laced it with a certain something."

"Night howler." Judy mumbled.

"Cute and smart! Can't see what took you so long to date her Nicky," Jim said. The fox growled at his name being used like that.

"So, you two will have to figure something out! I mean sure you could activate the fire system but…well..." Jim said as he looked over at the unconscious tiger laying in a crowd surrounded by concerned mammals.

"We-" Judy began but corrected herself, " _I_ am going to stop you."

"I hope so! Because I have been so bored lately," Jim said cheerfully as he turned and strolled away. "Better hurry. Think the main park in the rain forest district is gonna be a hot place to hang soon!"

Just before Jim left the two officers though he turned around and smirked. "Oh and I wouldn't call dispatch about this. I think you two have some things to talk about in private. Would hate for the whole of the ZPD to get involved."

"You going to stop us?" Judy asked slyly.

"No," Jim said plainly. "But if you call them then I send Bogo a little text, bet he would love to see what great communication skills his favorite fox officer has!"

Judy felt her ears fall back behind her head. If she called the ZPD Jim would surely find out somehow and then it would just be a few button presses away and Bogo would know about what Nick had been a part of. The last thought made Judy sick to her stomach. Not the thought of losing Nick, the thought of her…of Nick being a friend of Jim's. Sure, it was before Judy had ever known the fox and yes, he was a new mammal. Still he wasn't completely guilt free.

A war started to rage in Judy's mind as she tried to think. Nick however snapped her back into reality.

"Carrots..." Nick said softly.

Judy looked back at her fox and she noticed he recoiled slightly. She didn't realize it but she had growled at him while clenching her fist.

"We have to do something…." He muttered as he strolled back towards the entrance of the beach area.

Judy looked back at the crowd of mammals surrounding the unconscious tiger. She then looked at Jim who smiled and waved as he strolled down the beach. There had to be something she and Nick could do. Maybe while one of then hailed a cab the other could...

Judy looked out across the beach at all the different mammals. Each of them an easy target for whatever back up Jim had waiting. Judy gritted her teeth and ran after Nick.

The fox had already reached the edge of the beach and was clambering up some steps to the street. His head looking one way and then the other. Judy could tell her partner…that _Nick_ was already coming up with some kind of plan.

For the first time since Jim arrived, Nick smirked and looked back at Judy who gave him a handsome grin. She couldn't explain why but it didn't have the same effect as it did before. She wanted to feel safe but at the same time there were so many unanswered questions about Nick's past that popped into her mind. She began to wonder just how well she actually knew this fox in front of her.

The thoughts however passed as she shook her head and focused. This was Nick she was talking about here. She didn't care about his past, just…their future.

Nick nodded ahead of him and Judy slowly looked in the direction of the fox's gaze. Nearby was a rental place for the beach. The establishment normally rented out umbrellas, towels, beach gear, and various other sea faring items. They did however have a giant sign indicating they rented scooters of various sizes. Looking just beyond the sandwich board Judy noticed a few sun-bleached scooters parked in front of the building by the road. She looked back at Nick and a smirk crossed her own face. It could work.

Nick strolled over to the building with his partner trailing behind him. Both of them kept a quick pace, Jim's warning of a time limit fresh in both their minds.

A rather bored looking otter was leaning against the counter to the shop. She perked up though when Nick approached. "Hello sir, interested in a rental today?" she asked, the line obviously rehearsed.

Nick smirked at the otter but suddenly remembered he was short of cash. Jim having taken all of their belongings but leaving them both with their badges. The fox reached into his swim trunks and produced his badge. He looked over at Judy who had caught up. The bunny eyeing the badge but nodding quickly. Normally Judy didn't like to use her badge for special treatment and she encouraged Nick to do the same. Now however there wasn't exactly much of an option.

Nick flipped open the small protector and showed the badge to the otter and gave her a friendly smile. "So, this is gonna sound weird…"

A few minutes later Nick and Judy sped down the road on a scooter. Judy steering while Nick sat in the seat. The situation was somewhat awkward. They had to get a scooter that could fit the fox but that meant Judy couldn't out her paws on the floorboard. Nick still had his arm in a cast so he couldn't steer very well. They had to come up with a compromise of sorts. Judy sat on Nick's lap and drove the scooter while Nick remained seated and balanced them. Had this been an hour ago Judy would have loved this. However, between Jim showing up and the new knowledge of Nick's past, the bunny found it hard to enjoy herself. Her ears flopped behind her, brushing against Nick's chest. She felt fleeting moments of happiness at the sensation but then was reminded of the new facts. The vehicle was normally meant for leisurely drives near the beach but now Judy was willing it to give him everything it had and the small bunny was pushing the scooter to its breaking point.

"Didn't think that would actually work!" Nick shouted over the roar of the wind whizzing by them. Judy smirked as she took in a deep breath. She felt Nick grasp her waist a little tighter as they went over a tough patch of road, the fox holding onto the bunny, making sure she didn't bounce away. She let out a sharp gasp as she felt Nick wrap his arm around her to keep her close. She wanted so badly to fall back against the fox and become lost in his scent. They had a job to do though, and Nick wasn't exactly out of the fox house. Judy looked back at Nick for a second. Her eyes showing the battle raging in her mind.

"Nick…?" Judy had to raise her voice so the fox could hear her over the sounds of the city. The bunny weaved past a slow-moving vehicle and heard a rather annoyed ram cursing at her from the driver seat.

"We met a long time ago," Nick began, knowing full well what Judy wanted to ask. "Before you came to Zootopia. Back when Finnick and I were first branching out into different…business ideas."

Judy remained silent as she listened to Nick explain why he knew a monster like Jim. She dug her paws into the handles controls as she listened. She felt she owed the fox that much.

"You remember how when we first met I had those licenses to sell the pawpsicle?"

"You mean to scam those mammals?" Judy asked playfully as they pulled up to a red light. Judy was in a hurry but understood neither of them could stop Jim if they were hit by a car. The traffic at the intersection was heavy as well and she didn't dare risk weaving through traffic here. Not with Nick onboard at least.

The fox looked down and gave Judy a weak smile. She looked into his bright green eyes and saw a sadness in them. She had a feeling this was going to be a rough story.

"Well who do you think gave me that idea?" Nick said sadly.

"Jim…?"

"He called himself Evan back then, but yeah…Jim." Nick said as he took in a deep breath. "He had a lot of ideas. Some of them really good…others. Well, let's just say Finnick and I avoided being associated with him for very long."

"What were the _not_ good ideas?" Judy asked hesitantly. Nick shifted uneasily in his seat and Judy could tell this was a rather rough memory Nick was currently struggling to put into words. "Nick..." Judy said softly as she let go of one of the handles to the scooter and put her paw in his arm.

"Robbery, kidnapping, blackmail...arson." Nick listed off the crimes. "It wasn't just the crimes though. It's how he planned them. How they would play out. One was not enough. If he was gonna rob a place he was gonna get some blackmail out of it. If arson was the plan it was because he needed a way to mammal nap someone."

"Sounds dark," Judy admitted.

"Yeah, but genius at the same time," Nick muttered.

The light turned green and Judy kicked the scooter back into over drive as they sped down the road. They had already covered a good deal of ground but they were still in the beach blocks district and getting to the rainforest district was going to be a challenge. The one thing that saved them was it was still late afternoon. The lunch crowd had finally died down and most mammals were still stuck at work. They didn't have to worry about rush hour traffic at least.

"The thing is he never wanted to keep things small and to the point," Nick yelled over the wind as they passed a bus. "He had a bit of a theatric flare as I am sure you now know."

"I hate that side of him!" Judy shouted and then thought, "I hate all sides of him actually!"

"You and me both." Nick shot back.

Judy felt her stomach knot and knew if she didn't ask now it would just get worse. "Then why did you warn him?"

Nick remained silent for a minute as they sped through another intersection. "Even during all these plots he planned out he never went through with them. They were just ideas while he focused on hustling. If you thought I was good at it-"

"I didn't," Judy teased and smirked at her own comment, "I however I was awesome at it."

Nick chuckled but it sounded awkward. For all their looking and focus on getting this job done both of them could sense the tension.

"Well, he was better. He is the one who came up with a lot of the scams still done today. None of us knew though that he was the one behind all the arsons. That's when the name thing came into play. Turns out he was leading a double life even with all of us. On one side, we had the smart and joking hustler..."

Judy winced at Nick's description of Jim. Had anyone asked her to describe Nick a while back she would have probably used the same words.

"On the other side was this…monster."

"That's why you warned him. He was…"

"Was…that's it. Now he is nothing but a problem I intend to solve" Nick said with conviction.

As they sped down the highway Judy noticed a few of the odd looks the couple were receiving. It must have been an odd sight actually. A bikini clad bunny sitting on the lap of a swim trunks wearing fox whose arm was in a cast. Judy ignored the scowls and focused on the road ahead. She saw an exit for the rainforest district and her heart skipped a beat. They were so close now.

"Nick where do we go once inside the district?" Judy asked as her mind tried to figure out the best route.

"I think the control center is actually on the southern end in one of the larger sets of trees. It needs to overlook the district while being close to a water supply," Nick explained.

Judy chanced a glance to their right and looked out across the water of the beach block district.

"They get their water from the ocean?"

"Yes and no," Nick explained. "They pump it into a facility nearby. The salt water is refined into fresh water. The plant is huge so they keep it between the districts. Which is why the control center is to the South."

"It needs to be close to the water," Judy thought out loud which earned her a squeeze from Nick.

"That's my Carrots"

Judy let out a sigh. Even after all this she still was his. Even though he had made mistakes in the past that was then. The fox she was now speeding through the city with was a different mammal from days past. So was she. Judy felt a pang of regret for having given Nick a single doubt. She knew how to make it up to him though.

Judy steered the scooter off the main highway and towards a large tunnel that had a series of bright green signs. Some of them were digital and displayed bit of information. One of them caused Judy to worry. It was a rain schedule sign. It displayed when the next rainfall was and what the current time was.

"Next Rainfall at: 3:50. Current time: 3:20"

"We still have half an hour till the next rainfall," Judy pointed out. "So we just have to figure out how to stop the fire and tell them to shut off the water system."

"Yeah…" Nick said in a distant kind of way. Judy knew that tone and it excited her. This was the way Nick got when he was thinking of a plan. She remained silent as she let the fox calculate. "Take this right and hug the district perimeter. Then take a left when the road dead ends."

Judy followed Nick's instructions and sped the scooter down the straight. The air smelt wet and sweet aromas filled Judy's nostrils. She enjoyed this district for how lovely it felt. Everything was full of color and had a glow about it. The thought that the forest could burn down though popped into Judy's mind which just pushed her to move the scooter faster.

They reached the end of the street as Nick had predicted and Judy went left. She looked to her right and realized they were now driving alongside a massive tree. She noticed how it had several hatches and ladders going up its base and assumed it was actually a fake. This must be part of the plant that controlled the districts water supply.

Judy kept following the road until a large fence separate them. The fence continued to go down the road as the tree ended. Judy noticed a large parking lot and several buildings suddenly appeared. This had to be it.

Judy took the first right she could and noticed a large barrier gate and guard shack ahead.

She did not show any signs of stopping and the guarded at the gate must have noticed. A wolf in a security uniform jumped out and started waving his paws rapidly.

"Carrots, we can't run that!" Nick pointed out. The fox was right. This facility was considered vital to the district so it didn't have some simple gate arm. It had a large barrier that was currently in the up position. This thing could stop an armored truck at high speeds. The little scooter would plow into the barrier and be flattened easily. Judy squeezed the brakes on the scooter and grout it skidding to a halt a foot from the barrier.

"What the hell?!" The wolf shouted as a large bear in a security uniform came out of the shack with a rifle. He didn't take aim at Judy and Nick but the point was made that they had to be careful what they said next.

"ZPD!" Nick shouted as he produced both his and Judy's badges and showed the annoyed looking officers.

The pair of predators looked at one another and then back at Nick and Judy. Judy had a feeling this would be very hard to explain and decided to try a new tactic. She hopped off the scooter and grabbed her badge and stomped right up to the fox.

"Officer Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde! We have an emergency in the building."

The name drop worked as the bear suddenly scratched the back of his head. "Wait, _the_ Judy Hopps?"

"And Nick Wilde!" Nick added. "Why does no one ever remember that part?"

Judy looked over at Nick and did something he hadn't been expecting. She bit her lip and flicked her tail.

This action went unnoticed by the two security officers but Nick got the action and had to keep focused on not letting his jaw break when it hit the pavement.

"I know her! She is that big shot hero from the ZPD!" The bear pointed out as he put his weapon back inside the shack. "What can we do for you?"

"Now is not the time for that Henry!" The wolf barked as he looked at the bear and then to the bunny. "I'm sorry ma'am but we need to call you in for clearance."

Judy rolled her eyes and strolled past the wolf. "Henry, was it?" She asked quickly as a sly smile crossed her face. The bear nodded. "Listen we have an emergency and need to get to the central control room right-. "

Judy was interrupted when a phone on the side of the shack began to buzz. The bear instinctively reached over and opened the protective box that housed the phone and answered.

"Entry 1," the bear said professionally.

The wolf meanwhile walked over to Judy and gave her a firm look over as he inspected her. Judy could tell this wasn't a look of hunger like Nick used when looking over her body. This was the look of a professional mammal who didn't believe anything she was saying. She had a feeling that getting this barrier was going to be a challenge.

"You got it, sending them through now," the bear said as he looked over at Judy and nodded. Everyone present stood in pure shock and watched as the bear hit a few buttons on a console inside the kiosk. The barrier made a series of loud noises as it lowered.

"Henry what the hell?!" the wolf shouted as he waved his arms about.

"That was control. They said to send her in." Henry shot back defensively.

"You're kidding?!"

Judy didn't wait to hear an explanation. She ran over to the scooter and practically leapt into Nick's lap. She revved the scooters tiny motor and sped over the now lowered barrier.

"Thanks Henry!" Nick shouted as they drove into the facility.

Judy's ears continued to pick up the argument between the two predators but they soon faded. She focused on the task at hand, of course a new question did pop into her mind. Who at control had called to let them in?

Deep inside the facility a ram stood in front of a large bank of monitors. The screens all showed different bits of data. Some gave weather reports, temperature scans, traffic reports, incident calls, and any information necessary to run the district.

The ram was dressed in a pair of khakis pants and a white polo shirt with the control centers logo on his breast pocket. The mammal had a kind set of eyes but at the same time busy ones. He looked from monitor to monitor as he tried to assess as much as he could.

"Hey Greg!" A tiger in a similar outfit said from a desk that sat in front of the screens.

The ram looked over at the tiger and raised an eyebrow as the predator looked over his shoulder. "Engineering reports a delay in delivery for the new traffic cams for the mall district. Looks like we are gonna be down those cameras another day."

The ram rolled his eyes. "Thanks Bob. Sounds like requisitions again..."

"I think they do it on purpose sometimes," a black lamb said from another desk nearby.

"Agreed lady Bob!" both Greg and Bob said which earned an eye roll from the lamb.

Her name was Bobbi but the two of her coworkers enjoyed the other name. That way there would be two Bob's on shift. She never really understood this but went along with her friend's hijinks. Finding it best to just let the goof balls have their fun.

A small beeping noise started to emanate from one of the screens and the three mammals looked over. The tiger typed a few commands into his keyboard and the center screen brought an image up.

"Oh geeze" The tiger blurted out as the image of a small fire in a field near an apartment building started.

"Alert the local department we have field fire, get the suppression loaded up. Think that's near one of the main sprinklers," Greg said quickly. "Bobbi..."

"Last rain fall in that area was almost 4 hours ago and our sun conditions are high. Area is most likely dry by now, gonna want to get that suppression system up soon boss!" the lamb at her own desk began to frantically type on her keyboard.

"Agreed, we can do an early douse and let the fire crews clean up," Bob suggested.

"Make it happen," Greg said as he pulled out his cellphone and began to type out a message for his superiors.

Running a district took a lot of work. Especially in an ecosystem like Zootopia where each district was vastly different than the next.

The rainforest district required a lot of water to function but at the same time too much could be harmful for the plants, ground, and even the other water supplies. Mammals as well needed the occasional sunlight and drying time. All of it was coordinated thanks to this command center. Some areas required more water than others so rainfall would sometimes be set to just certain parts of the district while other parts would remain dry for certain lengths of time.

Greg shook his head. Of all the bad luck. This section of the district was way too dry and the fire could easily spread. Had this happened in almost any other part of the district they wouldn't have to worry as much since the fire would be slow to spread.

Another alarm began to buzz and the ram looked to the monitors.

"Another fire?" Bobbi asked as she looked at the screen.

"Yup," Bob said as he brought another image up. This time it was a car parked on top of a parking structure. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal since the car seemed to be on its own. The problem was the flames those high into the air and began to cause several branches of a nearby tree to smoke. "Oh crap…"

"Rain check?" Greg asked quickly

"3 hours, it's dry!" Bobbi said quickly.

"You have got to be kidding me," Greg said as he quickly ran over to another desk and took a seat. Activating his own console, he began to check several systems.

"What's the status on the suppression warm up?"

"Ready to pour on site 1, site 2 needs another 30 seconds or so," Bobbi said from her desk.

A pair of double doors on the far side of the room burst open and one of the oddest sights the team had ever seen came running into the room.

"Officer Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. ZPD!" A bunny wearing nothing but a bikini said quickly as she raised her shield up in the air.

"Wait…what?" Bob said asked as he eyed the pair of officers now standing in the room.

"Wait, Judy Hopps? _The_ Judy Hopps?" Bobbi asked excitedly.

"Oh for the love of…" A fox in a pair of swim trunks groaned as he waved his good paw around in the air.

Another beeping from the screens caused all the mammals to focus their attention back to the problem at paw.

"What the hell?!" Bob said loudly as the screen showed an additional two fires staring in different parts of the district.

"That's 4 fires all in dry zones Greg!" Bobbi said quickly. "Fire suppression system is ready to spray in the first two!"

"Hold the fire suppression system!" Judy shouted as she ran over to Bobbi.

"What? We have to? If we don't- "

"Your system has been tampered with," Nick explained. "If you utilize the fire suppression system it will spray the areas with Night howler serum."

"What kind of cheesy sci Fi level BS is this?" Greg shouted from his console. "You honestly think we are going to just believe two swim wearing mammals that busted into our- "

"GREG!" Bob shouted from his console.

The ram looked over at the screens and saw several alerts. "Suppression system has several pressure issues. It still works but the main tanks…they have been tampered with."

Greg froze as he saw a series of symbols scroll across the large screen.

"That's not possible, we would have been alerted." Bobbi said from her desk.

"No, there is no alert system on the suppression system anymore. Kept triggering an alarm when the system cycled through for pressure. High ups got annoyed with all the text messages," Greg groaned. He had told his bosses multiple times to just ignore the texts or just archive them but instead the high ups went and shut the alarm system off so their precocious lunches wouldn't be disturbed.

"System is still good for deployment…but…" Bobbi said as she looked over at Judy and Nick. The bunny officer noticed how the lamb's eyes went up and down Nick's body and she felt a pang of jealousy.

Greg looked over at the officers as well and took in a deep breath. "We can't risk it…If we end up coating the district with night howler who knows what could happen. Mammals may start attacking the fire crews and they are the ones we need to put these fires out. The suppression system wouldn't cut it anyways..."

"Greg, I have several fires all over the district in dry area," Bob began as he looked at the monitors. "We only have so many fire crews and by the time they finish one I am afraid we will have lost control of another. We can't just sit and wait. Our teams need help out there!"

The ram looked at the monitors and his mind began to work in overdrive. The only problem was it kept coming back to the same issue. If they used the suppression system then whole parts of the district would be doused in Night howler laced water. If they didn't use the system than half the district could go up in flames.

"It's the perfect storm…" Bobbi whispered as she looked at her monitor and tried to find a solution.

"Storm…." Nick said as he snapped his fingers. "Storm that's it!"

All the other mammals looked over at the Fox who ran up to Greg. A look of triumphant on Nick's face.

"I saw a documentary once on the storm system here. When you all run through a monsoon!" Nick exclaimed excitedly. He looked over at Judy for help but the doe had a confused look on her face. Nick rolled his eyes, "They run storms through the district every couple of months to simulate a monsoon. It's for, um...what's it for again?"

"It's for certain species. They follow patterns when it comes to seasons. One such season has a lot of storms," Greg explained as he tried to think it through. "It's a different system," The ram muttered and a look of realization came over him. "We have a different set of tanks for those on the other side of the district. It builds up the water over the course of a year so we can keep tabs on water allocation…" The ram trailed off as he ran over to his desk and began to type commands into the system.

"Isn't it all the same water supply?" Judy asked as she looked around the room feeling a little out of the loop.

"No," Bobbi began to explain as she too began to type rapidly into her computer. "We separated the systems a while back to help with pressure control. The water system couldn't keep up with the constant rain, fire suppression, and storm systems. They built them into three different facilities and controls. The rain would be too light to fight the fire, the suppression system is out, so that leaves..."

"Storm tanks are at 80% full right now," Bob said happily, "That is more than enough to at least keep the flames down till more fire teams can arrive. But Greg we need permission to activate a storm without a warning."

The ram looked at his monitor and then back at his team. "Lower the wind system, shut down the main fans, we just need water for this. Lots of it. As for the trouble, well I will take the blame if the big wigs have a problem with this."

The team went into action as Nick and Judy watched from the center of the room. Judy couldn't help but gravitate towards her fox and grasp his good paw. Nick looked down at his bunny and gave her a weak smile.

"Are we ok?" He asked with some hesitation.

Judy looked to the floor and then back to her fox. She gave him a weak smile and shrugged, "We will have to see Nick. For now though, we did good."

Nick took in a deep breath and nodded as the two officers looked back at the bank of monitors.

Throughout the district klaxons began to blare to warn citizens of the coming storm. The team at central control gave everyone 60 seconds. Most citizens of the district, though confused, understood what the alarms meant and sought shelter.

"What the hell are they playing at?" Asked a firefighter at one of the fires currently engulfing the side of an apartment building.

"Doesn't matter, we got a job to do!" Shouted a Zebra as he dragged another hose to a waiting team. "Get ready to get wet boys! We got rain coming!"

Soon half the district was covered in water as a heavy rain came down from the sky. Buckets of water fell onto the district at once as the water poured out of the storm system tanks. One of the fires out at a park was put out completely, having no cover from the storm. A few others diminished but still burned. It was enough though to keep the district from total disaster

Nick and Judy watched from the command center as the fires were either extinguished by the storm or reported as contained by arriving fire crews.

"You know Nick, that was pretty slick," Judy admitted as she looked at her fox.

"Well I did want to try and see you get that fur of yours all wet at the beach but this seems like it would work just as well." Nick said with a sly wink that made Judy blush. "Come on, Carrots."

As the rainforest district team continued to monitor the rain storms around the district the two officers walked hand in hand out of the room. Both of them knew though that there was little chance for them to enjoy the rest of the day off. There was going to be a mountain of paperwork after this little stunt.

Back at the beach blocks district at one of the many bars on the beach a rabbit sat on a stool looking at the TV which currently had a report about an impromptu storm in the rainforest district. It had been a slow news day so a lot of coverage was being thrown at the districts random storm event.

The dark gray rabbit in swim trunks felt his eye twitch as he watched the story unfold. There wasn't much information about the events but the anchor was praising the storm for helping with a fire at a local park. Not much else was known at the time so the story was short and soon commercials began to fill the screen.

The rabbit looked down at his phone which was next to his beer on the counter. The device beginning to buzz. He scooped it up with his paw and answered. "What part of rig the system did you not get?"

The caller tried to explain themselves but Jim wasn't in a very good mood. "No, you're right it's not your fault, it's mine, and I shouldn't have hired you in the first place..." With that the buck hung up the phone, drained his drink and set his now empty bottle down. He sat and thought for a moment and then scooped up his phone once more. He typed out a text message then took in a deep breath and rubbed his temple. "Burning down a district shouldn't be this hard…" He grumbled

"Everything ok, sir?" The bartender asked softly. Jim looked up and smiled at the gray bunny in the bikini top that was serving drinks this afternoon.

Jim looked at the doe and smirked, "I am so sorry, just having some problems at work..."

The bunny smiled sweetly at Jim and he was suddenly reminded of a certain other bunny. The bartender opened up another drink for Jim and handed it over to the grateful buck.

"You know, you look familiar," Jim said as he put his chin in his paw.

The bunny blushed, knowing full well what was happening. She had grown used to patrons hitting on her. Rightly so in her bikini top and swim trunks that showed off a rather luscious figure. "Really now?" She didn't mind it this time, there was something about this rabbit that thrilled her. Her instincts screamed danger but that made it even more fun.

"Yes. Tell me, do you know Judy Hopps?"

* * *

 **Hey everyone.**

 **I know it has been a long while since I updated this story. Let me first apologize for that. There are a lot of excuses I could throw out. Work, laziness, Firewatch, laziness again, etc. I have currently been very focused on my other story which I am sure a lot of you have seen. However I am still very sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I hope the next one will come a lot sooner.**

 **I want to thank you all for your patience and continued support of this story. It was my first one and I like to think it has done well so far. We still have a long ways to go though.**

 **Time for a plug!**

 **Who loves Trisha? Silly question you all do! :P**

 **Well she is featured in an awesome story written by an awesome writer.**

 **A bar, a bunny...Just kidding fox.**

 _ **Sweet**_ ** _Treatment_ by _Fox in the Hen house_. I really cant begin to describe just how fun this story is. If you have read _A bunny can go savage_ but are on the fence about an OC fic let me tell you, this story is awesome. We still have that amazing Zootopia feel but we get a chance to fall in love with a new awesome ship! Take a second and just go read the first chapter. You will binge read the whole story in no time. Bonus for all you shippers out there who dont like Trisha. She has an amazing doe to keep her occupied so Judy is perfectly safe!**

 **Thanks to Fox for taking the time to edit this nonsense. He edited this thing super quick, like in a matter of hours after I sent it. I am the one to blame on the extended time frame.**

 **Hope to have more work for you all soon.**

 **-Blue**


	45. Deal With It

Deal with it

A dart whizzed through the air and hit its target with a satisfying, "thunk".

"Oh for the love of…" Delta groaned as he looked across the bar at the small dart board hanging on the wall; the dart sitting right in the center of the board. The painted dog looked at the board and the dart currently sitting in the bullseye. It had to be the fifth time he had seen his opponent score a perfect shot. "How? How are you this good at this?!"

Trisha giggled as she stretched her paws high into the air, pushing out her chest which she noticed caused Delta's eyes to momentarily flicker lower. Smiling, she looked over at Delta who was currently level with her, the bunny standing on a bar stool so she would be level with the dart board. Of course there were other benefits to being a little taller. As she lowered her arms she reached over and wrapped one around Delta and pulled him over to her. The canine didn't struggle and took a step closer as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "You really want to know?" she asked as she put a paw on the painted dogs cheek and ran her digits through his fur.

"Couldn't hurt..." Delta muttered as he looked into Trisha's bright blue eyes. She let her eyelids droop which drove the canine absolutely mad, wanting to pull her into a passionate embrace as he looked at the beautiful bunny.

"Ancient bunny secret," she said playfully as she gave the canine a peck on the cheek. She then reached down and grabbed one of the darts still in Delta's paws and launched it at the dart board. Though it didn't hit the center of the board it was far closer than any of the darts thrown by the canine.

"Seriously?!" The canine blurted out as he looked at the board.

"Looks like I win again," Trisha said as she placed both of her arms over Delta's shoulders and let them rest there lazily.

The tactical officer groaned as he looked at the board and then back at Trisha. "You already know everything though…what could I possibly answer?"

The couple had been playing a game during Trisha's shift. Delta had gone to work that day but had been excused early, and the canine took the time off happily. Most members of the ZPD had been swamped with overtime so when given the chance most of the officers jumped at an early release. The canine was eager to spend more time with Trisha, with whom he had just started to date in a more serious capacity. Sadly though, the doe had picked up a shift at the 10-7. Before the painted dog could say anything Trisha had suggested that he come and spend time with her at the bar. Not wanting to miss out on spending time with his doe, Delta accepted the invitation.

The bar was a little slow today. Only a pawful of patrons were inside which allowed Trisha and Delta to enjoy a few games of darts. The bunny excusing herself occasionally to make her rounds and ensure there were no empty glasses or waiting customers. She would then return to the canine and, to put it gently, kick his butt. To make things interesting, Trisha had suggested they make a neat game out of it. Since they had just started dating she wanted to know a little more about Delta and she had a feeling the painted dog would love to learn more about her. The only problem was that Trisha had won every game so far. She could write a book at this point about what she knew about the canine.

Delta, sadly, was trailing so far behind that Trisha worried he may never learn about that one time at the college when she went down Greek row and stole a bunch of the letters in front of the houses to write a rather crude word on the quad. And that was one of the tamer stories she was hoping to tell him...if he could only win a game that is.

"You said you have dated before right?" Trisha asked as she ran a paw through the fur on the back of the canines head. Delta closed his eyes at the warm feelings inside as his ears twitched slightly.

"Yeah…" he said with some hesitation.

"Any bunny's?" Trisha asked calmly as she studied the mammals face.

Delta was no Nick and his emotions showed right away. He looked hesitant as his eyes popped open.

"Oh that is a yes!" Trisha laughed as she leaned close and gave him a peck on the nose.

"What about you?" Delta asked, doing his best to change the subject.

"Bunny's? As in does?" Trisha asked as she tilted her head, causing her giant ears to fall to one side. "That's not how the game works."

"Come on Trish!" Delta pleaded as he looked into her eyes. "At this rate I won't know anything about you!"

"Where did I go to college?"

"University of Central Forest." Delta responded quickly.

"Major?"

"Astrophysics and…umm…something about adventures?" Delta said as he looked up to the ceiling, doing his best to remember the other major Trisha had studied.

"Adventure education," Trisha answered, beaming that Delta not only remembered her university but most of her major. Almost as if he wasn't dating her just for her body, though it was a wonderful body to date.

"That's the one about outdoor activities, learning, and the likes right? So you can work at the parks department?" Delta asked as he studied the doe, doing his best to save what information he could for later use.

"Yeah…wanted to be a park ranger when I was younger."

"You would make…" Delta began to say in a rather sweet voice, "A terrible ranger," He finished as he tensed up and took a step back.

Trisha burst out laughing as she tried to swipe at the painted dog, only to nearly lose her balance. Fortunately for her, the fall was stopped by a pair of strong arms that lifted her up and twirled her around. Trisha began to let out a series of giggles and happy squeaks as Delta held her close. "Nice save."

"Thanks," Delta said but was suddenly slapped on the head. "Oi!"

"I would make an excellent ranger!" Trisha said playfully as she tried to grab at the painted dogs ears.

Delta held Trisha away from his body as the bunny squirmed, trying to gain control and attack the officer.

"Half the forest would burn down!"

"Which would mean I saved the other half!" Trisha shouted triumphantly as she raised her paws high into the air. "Seems to me you know a lot more about me than you think."

There was a coughing at the end of the bar and Trisha turned to see a tiger in a firehouse uniform raise a nearly empty glass.

"Be right there hon," Trisha said and then turned to Delta and gave him a wink. The canine took the hint and set the bunny down. Trisha turned to walk behind the bar but not before turning and giving the painted dog a flick of her tail. Delta chuckled at his bunny's antics and strolled over to the bar, taking a seat on one of the many empty bar stools.

Delta watched Trisha and couldn't help but marvel at the doe and her personality. The bunny hopped up on the bar in front of the tiger and started pestering him like he was an old friend.

"...poured that drink like almost an hour ago and you just now finished it?" She teased as she looked at the nearly empty glass. "Well finish what you got!"

The tiger chuckled and shrugged, giving Trisha a weak but still friendly smile. He then took one last swig and drained the glass of its contents.

"Gosh, thought you ZFD boys could handle your liquid,," Trisha said with a wink as she hopped from the bar. She tossed the empty glass into a sink behind the bar and grabbed a chilled mug. She then filled up a new drink for the tiger and slid it down the bar where a large paw caught it. Trisha turned and entered the order into a computer, adding another drink to the tigers tab.

Before returning to Delta though, Trisha took a moment to wipe down the bars counter and opened a bottle of dark brown liquid. She then jumped on the bar and approached an arctic wolf in a paramedic's uniform. Her head was in her arms and series of bottles surrounded her.

Delta had to strain to hear what Trisha said as she approached the wolf and his heart grew heavy.

"You did your best," Trisha cooed as she set a bottle down near the wolf and ran a paw over the poor mammals ears. The large canine let out a tragic whine but kept her head down. "When you are ready to talk just give me a shout, ok sweetie?" She then leaned down and pressed her lips to the wolf's head and gave her a comforting kiss. Running her paw over the wolf's ears one last time, she then slowly moved away, taking a few of the empty bottles with her.

Trisha returned to Delta with a slightly strained smile. Without even being asked she answered the question she knew was on Delta's mind.

"She lost a kit today on a call…nothing she could do. Her boss called and asked us to keep an eye on her," Trisha said softly.

"Should she be drinking alone?" Delta asked hesitantly.

Trisha nodded. "Some mammals are different. Some need to be surrounded by others. Some need to be left alone till they want to let you in. I can tell her type."

"Still though…" Delta muttered.

"Don't worry," Trisha said as she sat on the bar and kicked her feet back and forth. She took a moment to look over at the wolf and let out a soft sigh, "I'll look after her."

Delta put a paw on top of Trisha's and the bunny looked back at the painted dog and smiled. Though there was sadness in her eyes there was also warmth and kindness. She then brought her paw up and then back down on Delta's, giving him a playful slap.

"So back to this game!"

Delta rolled his eyes and groaned.

Before the conversation could begin however there was a sudden roar of laughter outside. Trisha's ears shot up and she looked over at the door as her nose began to twitch.

Delta and a few other mammals attention was now directed to the door as well, as the muffled whine of a small engine could be heard. The engine cut off and the sound of Petey laughing filled the air outside of the bar.

"Oh this is gonna be good," Delta muttered as he stared at the door.

The painted dog was right as the door swung open and everyone could hear Petey continuing to chuckle. Trisha stood up on the bar to get a better look and could see the giant rhino grabbing his side as he tried to control the raucous laughter. The reason for it became clear as two mammals walked into the bar. A fox in nothing but a pair of Pawaiaan swim trunks and a gray bunny in a modest bikini that showed off more fur than she obviously wanted to.

Trisha's foot began to thump against the bar rapidly and Delta looked from Trisha, then over the gray bunny who blushed at all the attention. Delta yelped in pain as he felt Trisha lean down and pinch his arm.

"What the heck was that for?!" he growled.

Trisha beamed as she looked from Delta and then to Judy.

"Just making sure this isn't a dream," she said excitedly.

"That's not how that works!" Delta barked but it fell on deaf ears as Trisha focused all her attention on Judy who took a seat on the stool next to Delta. Nick sitting down on the other side of his partner with a casual look on his face, obviously not caring about his apparel or the stares they were getting.

Trisha laid down on her stomach and kicked her feet up in the air as she put her head in her paws, staring directly at Judy who blushed even more as she looked at the bright blue eyes belonging to her roommate.

"So…" Trisha began as she eyed Judy's slender body, "What's the occasion?"

Nick put his paw in front of Trisha and started snapping his digits, trying to break the trance like state the doe was in. "Hey! Watch the eyes!" The fox said firmly.

"Those are nice," Trisha began but her eyes slowly went down and lingered on Judy's top, "but there is so much more to watch."

Delta roared with laughter but stopped when he noticed Nick glaring at him.

"What?"

"Control your bunny!" Nick blurted out as he waved at Trisha who had scooted closer on the bar and was gently running a paw up and down one of Judy's arm.

"Oh yeah, like I have control of her!" Delta shot back. "You got control of Judy?"

"Of course I…" Nick began but Judy slowly turned and gave Nick a look that made the fox understand finishing that sentence would be unwise.

Judy then looked back at Trisha and her ears drooped. "Trisha it's been one of those days…" she began and the brown bunny on the bar leapt up suddenly, smirking. Judy however raised a paw up to get Trisha's attention. "But we don't have our wallets on us…so.."

During their time at the beach both Nick and Judy's possessions had been taken by Jim. The only thing the buck allowed them to keep were their ZPD badges which turned out to be very helpful in the end. This meant however neither of them could really afford to pay for the drinks they both needed and deserved.

"Put 'em on my tab," Delta said before anyone could say another word. Both Nick and Judy looked over at the painted dog who gave the couple a wink.

"Such a generous dog I have!" Trisha said as she walked over to Delta. Standing on the bar made her a little taller than Delta so she had no trouble reaching down and putting her paws on his cheeks and squeezing. "Such a good boy!"

Judy giggled as a dream like state came over the canine and she watched as his tail swayed slowly behind him.

Trisha leaned down and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, causing Judy to blush. She hadn't really seen Delta or Trisha show affection like this in public before. She had walked in on them sharing a sweet moment in the hotel room a few nights ago. This though, was a little different. She still felt a pang of jealousy but quickly banished the thoughts from her mind. She had made her choice, one she knew she would never regret.

Judy took a moment to look over at Nick who gave the bunny a handsome smile. She smiled and patted Nick on the lap, but the moment only lasted a second. The memory of the day's revelations were still fresh in her mind and a pang of anger hit her. She knew she could trust Nick and would eventually forgive him. For now though, things had a slight awkwardness and tension about them.

The tension, however, was stopped when Trisha returned and place a bright green drink in front of Judy and an open beer bottle at Nick's paws. Both the officers looked at the drinks and quickly took rather large gulps of the alcohol provided to them.

"Wow…so one of those days huh?" Trisha asked she watched the too tired looking mammals drain almost half of their drinks in one go.

"You have no idea," Judy winced as the strong liquor burned her throat.

"Wanna talk about it?" Trisha asked as she sat cross legged in front of the three mammals.

Nick shook his head and gave Trisha a look. To the bunny's credit, she seemed to understand and nodded, giving Nick a hesitant look. Delta who raising his beer to his lips also gave pause as his eyes looked over at Nick. Seeing the fox shake his head was all he needed to know that something was up but it was best to wait for later to talk about it.

"Or you two can join in on our game!" Trisha suggested, the mood of the group suddenly brightening.

"What's the game?" Judy asked as her ears raised up in curiosity, her purple eyes brightening at the thought of a little fun competition.

"Darts..." Delta groaned as he nodded at the dart board filled with Trisha's excellent shots. The brown bunny giggled.

"Or they can join in on the other part," Trisha suggested with a wink.

"What's that?" Nick asked as he took another swig of beer.

Trisha raised her arms up happily and then pointed at herself. The action causing her shirt to go up slightly, revealing more of her brown fur. Judy's eyes widened and she blushed. Delta stared. Nick kept his emotions in check and did his best to keep his eyes forward, knowing now would be a bad time to be caught taking glimpses. "Trisha Trivia!" the brown doe announced happily.

"I'm winning so far," Delta said with a chuckle as he reached for the beer he had been nursing since his arrival to the bar.

"Oh really?" Judy asked with a sly look over at the painted dog.

"Yes really, best watch it Hopps," Delta said with a wink.

"I'm roommates," Judy said as she pointed at Trisha and then herself. A rather smug smile on her face.

"Shall we make a wager out of it?" Delta asked as he turned to look right at Judy.

"Oh yes we shall," Judy said as she stuck her tongue out at the canine.

"Oh my, all this over little old me?" Trisha gushed as she fanned herself. She then looked over at Nick. "What about you Nick?"

The fox chuckled and shook his head, "Naw, best leave this to your fan club."

"That is a pretty big club ya know," Trisha said with a giggle.

"Where did she go to college?" Delta asked with a smug look. Judy felt her ears fall behind her back and she looked at Trisha. Her eyes wide with surprise.

"That's right, didn't know you were rooming with a college girl," Trisha said with a playful wink.

"Any idea what she studied?" Delta asked in a hushed whisper as he leaned next to Judy. The gray doe began to panic and realized something rather important. She didn't actually know as much about Trisha as she thought she did. The revelation seemed to be noticed by all the other mammals and Trisha giggled.

Judy sniffed a little as she looked right at Trisha. "Am I really that bad of a friend?"

Trisha let out an "awwww" and scooted forward on the bar and wrapped her arms around Judy's head and brought it close. It was a little awkward for Judy, being brought in on the brown bunny's bust. She couldn't help but smirk though as she breathed in Trisha's sweet scent.

Trisha let out a surprised giggle as she felt Judy nuzzle a little into Trisha's chest.

"Alright, alright!" Nick said as he put his paw on Judy's shoulder and pulled her away from Trisha's embrace.

"Awww, is someone jealous?" Trisha asked as she looked over at Nick.

"Just watch the paws." Nick stated as he took another sip of beer.

"What? These paws?" Trisha asked as she scooted forward to sit on the edge of the bar. She reached over and put a paw on the back of Judy's head and gently pulled her closer.

Nick glared at Trisha who giggled. Judy joined in and stuck her tongue out as she leaned forward and rested her head against Trisha's chest and let out a soft purr.

"Hate you," Nick grumbled.

"No you don't!" Trisha announced as she suddenly stood up and hopped over in front of Nick.

"Don't you dare," Nick said firmly. Of course, Trisha being Trisha, meant the words were ignored.

Trisha reached forward and put both paws on Nick's cheeks and pulled him forward. Judy watched in shock as Trisha pressed her lips to Nick's forehead and then took in a deep breath.

"Trisha!" The fox shouted as he tried to swat the annoying brown bunny away. It didn't work as Trisha blew against the fox's fur, air escaping between her lips, causing a loud wet noise to fill the room. "Why? Why do we drink here?"

Delta and Judy both burst out laughing as they watched Trisha take another breath. Judy enjoyed watching Nick's expression of surrender as he just sat and took it. Delta on the other paw enjoyed how Trisha wiggled her bottom excitedly as she continued to annoy the fox.

As the group continued to laugh at Nick's expression. Trisha turned and noticed a bobcat in a dark blue shirt and blue BDU pants stroll up to the bar. Having worked at the 10-7 long enough Trisha could pick out the different service mammals even if their uniforms sometimes matched. This one was a firefighter and she could already tell from the way he walked in he may be trouble.

Trisha released Nick from her grasp and excused herself but before she skip across the bar the predator raised a paw and started to snap his digits together. "Hey, drink doe service!"

Trisha stopped mid-skip and put her paw on her hip. "Okay there is a far nicer way of asking for a drink." She said right to the bobcat. Trisha wasn't the type who was afraid to get into it with rude customers and she learned that it was best to establish that early on with certain mammals.

"That's nice to know," the bobcat smugly replied as he eyed the doe still standing a few spots away from him. "Now pour me a glass," the bobcat said as he reached over and tapped one of the different taps.

Trisha hopped from the bar and gave the bobcat an obviously annoyed look. She put a glass under the tap and poured, ensuring the rude customer got more foam than anything. She placed the glass in front of the mammal who eyed the glass and then looked at Trisha.

"You want to try asking again?" Trisha asked as she put a paw in her hip and gave the bobcat a look that told him he had only one option.

"One glass of beer please," the bobcat said with a hint of a growl. Trisha raised an eyebrow and scowled. She then got a new glass and poured the fire mammal a proper beer.

"When you are done with that I'll check on you. Maybe work on the attitude," Trisha suggested as she strolled away.

Nick took notice of the whole interaction and felt a small amount of anger begin to boil inside as he noticed the bobcat ogling the doe's supple rear as it swayed with every step. Nick was rather protective of his friends and especially with his close ones. Watching the bobcat eyeing Trisha after treating her so rudely made his blood boil.

No one else had taken notice so Nick decided to just let it slide for now. Having a feeling it would be best to just let everyone enjoy themselves. He did, however, keep a wary eye on the bobcat, having a feeling he would be trouble.

Trisha returned to her friends and took a seat, dangling her legs over the bar, her strong brown legs resting on either side of Judy as she sat right in front of the gray bikini clad doe. Judy didn't mind at all and smiled up at Trisha as she sipped at her drink. She closed her eyes and let out a pleased noise as she let the flavors mix on her taste buds.

She then opened her bright purple eyes and stared up at Trisha, her gray ears falling slightly. "I'm sorry I didn't know all of this Trisha..."

Much to Judy's relief Trisha waved the comment aside. "You were busy. Besides I prefer to focus on the now instead of the then. I mean, we all have a backstory but it's more fun to get through the current chapter."

Delta chuckled, "Did you get that off a bumper sticker?"

"Pawpsicle stick actually," Trisha said as she put her paws behind her and leaned back. She looked over at Nick and gave him a playful wink. The fox smirked and rolled his eyes.

"Besides that stuff was going to come up eventually, we just didn't have time for it," Trisha admitted. Judy smiled and nodded in agreement as she took a sip of her drink. "I mean we were too busy making out in the restroom."

Judy snorted and felt her nostrils burn as some of her drink went down the wrong pipe. Delta's jaw dropped and Nick this time was the only one laughing at the brown doe's words.

Nick started to wheeze and had to look away for a second. Trisha meanwhile looked right at Judy and wiggled her eyebrows as she ran one of her feet up and down the gray fur of Judy's legs. The bunny didn't do anything to stop it though and just shook her head as she bit her lip.

"So where was I?" Delta asked as he waved his arms about.

"Not making out with Judy that's for sure," Trisha said as she looked at her painted dog and stuck her tongue out. This started a new fit of laughter from Nick and Delta couldn't help but join in with the fox. After a few moments the canines managed to calm down and Judy finally changed back to the shade of gray instead of the bright red she had been during the majority of the conversation.

Trisha smiled down at Judy and kept running her foot up and down Judy's fur. The feeling was calming to Judy and satisfied Trisha's need for physical contact as well, so the two enjoyed the moment. "I went to the University of Central Forest. Majored in astrophysics and adventure education."

Judy had to shake her head and looked at the doe in front of her with more respect. "Astrophysics?"

"Wait…adventure education. Like park services?" Nick threw in. The fox had a sudden sly smirk cross his muzzle. "You would bu-" the fox began but was silenced as Trisha tossed a coaster into the air and watched as it landed right on the Fox's head.

"You got to teach me that trick!" Judy exclaimed. "He sometimes goes on and on during patrol."

Trisha giggled. "I'll teach ya sometime. Just a little trick I picked up here at work."

"How long have you been working here anyways?" Judy asked as she sipped her drink.

Trisha held up a paw and showed three digits. "Three wonderful years."

"Why so long? Couldn't find any place else to cause chaos at?" Nick asked but didn't make eye contact as Trisha stared daggers at the fox.

"For your information I like it here," she began in a somewhat cold tone. "Plus if I had left, I wouldn't have met all of you."

"He sure is good at digging holes ain't he?" Delta whispered to Judy who chuckled and nodded in agreement.

Trisha's ears shot up suddenly and she looked down the bar and noticed the wolf at the bar setting down her beer. The bunny stood up quickly and walked down the counter. Her friends all watching the bunny as she balanced herself perfectly on the stained wood.

The bobcat looked up in an annoyed manner as Trisha passed by and shook his head before returning to his cell phone. Another set of mammals at the bar both scooted back in one fluid motion, obviously regulars and knowing the practice of Trisha walking on the bartop.

The three members of the ZPD began to converse amongst themselves as the brown bunny continued her barkeep duties. Judy, however, watched from the corner of her eye as Trisha retrieved another bottle of beer from a mini fridge behind the bar and then quietly kneeled down over the wolf. Judy's ears twitched as she listened in on the brown doe and wolf.

"You want to come join my friends and me? Bet they would love to just sit with ya and chat," Trisha said sweetly as she rubbed one of the wolf's ears and placed the fresh bottle of beer next to the large predators paw. The wolf mumbled something so quiet that even Judy missed it. She would, of course, been happy to meet a new friend and maybe even help someone get through a dark time. Judging from Trisha's expression however, that wasn't going to happen just yet. "Ok sweetie, remember you aren't alone in this. We are all here for you." With that Trisha gave the wolf a gentle peck on the head and then hopped from the bar as she took the now empty bottle from the wolf.

Trisha spent a few minutes around the bar. Serving the pawful mammals in the room and cleaning up a few spots on the counter. There was a commotion at the front door and Judy looked over in time to see an otter dressed in a white top and jean shorts stroll into the bar. Judy recognized the otter as Em, one of the other employees of the 10-7. She was a sweet otter and she got along with everyone fairly well. Though not as bubbly as Trisha she still had a kindness about her.

"It beach day at the ZPD?" Em asked with a playful nod towards Judy and Nick.

"We thought the 10-7 could use a more tropical feel," Nick said as he raised a beer towards Em, who giggled.

"Delta looking good," the otter said over at the painted dog. "You look tired though, didn't get any sleep last night?" It was obvious from the otter's tone that she was implying something but the canine kept his mouth shut and just winked at Em, confirming the otter's suspicions.

The otter walked around the bar and there was a happy squeal as Trisha saw Em and ran over, wrapping her arms around the otter and squeezing.

"Oh I missed you too goofball," Em chuckled as she returned the hug and gave Trisha a peck on the cheek. "What have we got so far?"

Trisha let go of Em and looked around the bar. "Got one needing some love..." Trisha began and nodded over to the wolf. "Lost a patient today, kit…don't know much but her leader called us and asked to keep an eye on her. Tab is covered so whatever she wants to gets."

"Along with lots of love," Em said softly.

Judy felt her heart shatter as she listened in on the conversation. Nick and Delta meanwhile were busy discussing some topic Judy missed completely as she was far too engrossed in the two bartenders conversation. Part of her felt a pang of sadness for the wolf at the end of the bar drinking her sorrows away. The other part felt a wave of love and appreciation for Trisha. The kindness the bunny showed the poor predator going through such a terrible day was amazing. Trisha showed her true colors right then and Judy let out a sigh as she looked at the sweet bunny. Lost in thought as Trisha carried on her conversation with Em, pointing at the bobcat nearby.

"How did I get so lucky?" Judy thought as she looked from Trisha and over to Delta. Trisha had showed Judy love and affection. Delta on the other paw showed Judy friendship and loyalty, proving he would do anything for a friend. The gray bunny then looked at Nick who noticed her gaze and gave her a handsome smile. Though things were a little rough right now she was grateful to have Nick in her life. Sure he had a somewhat dark past and she wasn't looking forward to talking about it, but he had done so much for her that she knew she could forgive him eventually.

"So, foam his drink?" Em asked Trisha which snapped Judy back into reality.

Trisha giggled and shrugged, "depends on how he asks."

"Alright well let me get settled and then I'll cover the bar so you can enjoy your night with your painted lover." Em then leaned over and gave Trisha a sweet peck on the cheek as the doe stood frozen at the last words, her cheeks warming as her ears changed a color of red.

Judy was somewhat impressed with the otter who strolled down the bar. It took a lot to get Trisha flustered and she obviously needed a moment to compose herself. When she finally did she hopped up on the bar, this time taking a seat in front of Delta who gave her a smirk. Trisha reached over to the bottle of beer in the canines paw, but didn't take it from him. Instead she placed her paw on his and rubbed her thumb against his fur, giving him a sweet smile as her eyes took her boyfriend in.

Trisha managed to finally pry her eyes away from Delta and gave Judy a grin. "How many siblings?"

Judy was confused for a moment but then realized they had finally returned to their little get to know each other game.

"275," Judy said simply, as if the high number was common. To bunnies out in the farm lands it was. To the mammals at the bar however it was something worth a spot-take.

Delta coughed into his drink and Nick gave off a nervous laugh for some reason. Trisha on the other hand smiled, obviously familiar with bunny society no matter where it was. She then held up her paws and raised five of her digits.

"500?!" Judy asked. Had she been drinking she probably spat out her drink.

Trisha bursted out laughing and shook her head.

"Wait, five? How?"

Trisha shrugged. "We lived in a city nearby Zootopia called Manta Bay. Mom and dad moved us to a small home in a suburb."

"But only 5?"

"Yep!" Trisha said, amused by Judy's reaction. "All older brothers too! So you can imagine how much fun that was."

Judy couldn't even begin to fathom what it was like though. The thought of walking through the halls of her home and not running into a kerfuffle of siblings was something she could get use to. However she had a sudden lonely feeling and decided she was grateful for the family she had, no matter how big.

"What do your parents do?" Judy asked as she tried to piece together the puzzle that was Trisha's home life.

"Mom is an accountant. Works from home sometimes. Dad is a mechanic. Really good at it too."

"My parents are both..."

"Farmers," Trisha finished the sentence. "I met them remember? The time at the hospital when Tammy told them you had been in a gun-fight."

"Hey, how is Tammy anyways? Heard Mike was back from medical," Delta asked, looking over at Nick.

"She's glad her partner is back, but I think she was also enjoying her temp partner," the fox answered with a sly smile.

Delta had a knowing look cross his face and began to nod, understanding what the fox was implying.

Judy ignored the canines, as she was far too interested in learning more about Trisha to care about current office gossip.

"Did you play any sports in college?"

"Beer pong count?" Trisha asked while scrunching her nose.

"Yes!" both canines answered and then looked at one another with some rather stupid grins.

"Well besides that," Judy said as she sipped the last of her drink. Trisha hopped up and jumped behind the bar, preparing a new drink for her gray roommate. The new concoction was a bright orange. Judy took a sip and let out a pleased moan. It was the carrot drink Trisha had prepared for her a while back. Though Judy enjoyed all the drinks Trisha prepared, this one was paws down her favorite.

"Did a stint in paintball for a bit," Trisha said as she returned to her seat in front of Judy and crossed her legs while scooting to the edge of the counter.

"Wait what?" Delta asked as he looked at Trisha in surprise.

"You knew this already," Trisha pointed out.

"No I didn't! That's awesome! I played to!"

This caused Trisha's ears to perk up. "Really?"

"How have we not talked about this?!"

"I have no idea?!" Trisha practically shouted. "What team?"

"Savanna Wave."

Trisha's eyes went wide and she suddenly seemed rather nervous. "Oh umm.."

"What about you?" Delta asked excitedly.

"Flirt'n…"

Delta's mod changed suddenly from very excited to rather annoyed.

"Sorry…" Trisha said with a weak smile.

"So that was…"

Trisha nodded and scooted over to Delta who turned away in his seat. Trisha let out a sad laugh. "Awww come on Delta! I'm sorry!"

"Wait. What happened?" Judy asked, looking over at Nick for some kind of help.

"I don't want to talk about it," Delta grumbled as he started to pout. Trisha stood up on the bar and then hopped onto the canines back as he turned away from the bunny. She wrapped her arms around the canine's neck nuzzling into the canine who tried his best to shrug it off.

"Bawwwww, you guys did really good though! You almost had us."

"Didn't even stay for the end game pawshake…" Delta grumbled.

"We made the finals, we had to be rushed to the next match! You all put up a good fight though," Trisha said as she tried to get Delta's attention. Finally crawling around to his lap where she sat down and straddled the canine. "Come on now, turn that frown –"

Before Trisha could finish Delta smirked and pressed his lips to Trisha's in a surprise kiss. Trisha let out a soft moan, loving the affection and let her arms fall against the painted dog's chest. Delta then pulled away and gazed at the brown bunny. "I can't believe you're not only a paintballer but you actually beat me and my team."

"Super weird!" Trisha agreed.

"Super bullshit," came a voice from down the bar.

The group all looked as one down at the bobcat who was eyeing the different officers.

"Can I help you friend?" Delta asked in one of the most uninviting tones Judy had ever heard.

"No, I'm good," The feline grumbled as he drained his beer and smacked the glass down on the bar. "Service!"

Trisha rolled her eyes and hopped from Delta's lap, returning to her bartending duties. Em was currently busy taking another set of orders so it was up to Trisha to deal with the resident pain in the ass.

She walked around the bar and scooped up the bobcat glass as the feline eyed her. This time Delta took notice just how the bobcat was looking at his bunny and he let out a low growl. Judy turned to the canine and patted him on the knee, trying to calm her friend. It worked but only enough to stop the painted predator from saying anything, he still stared daggers at the bobcat however.

Trisha neglected getting the patron a new chilled glass and merely filled up the glass he had been already using. She then walked over to the fire fighter and waited. The predator gave Trisha an odd look as he eyed the bunny.

"Well?" Trisha asked as she put a paw on her hip.

"Please?" The mammal said in a very unconvincing tone.

Trisha smirked, knowing it was the best she was probably going to get. She placed the mug on the counter and slid it to the feline. She then turned and skipped back to her group.

As the drinks continued to flow Judy learned a lot more about her roommate. Though they had become quick friends and even shared a rather close bond, Judy was still amazed at how little of Trisha was covered in the time they had met. Trisha knew everything about Judy though. Of course to be fair, Judy had been a bit of a big deal when arriving in Zootopia. Being the first bunny officer after all...

Judy however refused to let the conversation change subjects. She wanted to know more about the bunny that had bounced into everyone's life and made herself comfortable. Plus it was helping to relieve her mind of the uncomfortable truths she was still trying to understand about her partner. Seeming to notice what Judy was doing, Nick reached out and placed a paw on her leg. Judy smiled at his touch and care he showed her. Even though she still was worried about what he had done in his past, she knew they had a bright future ahead of them.

With the past calmed and questions about the brown doe on the tip of her tongue, Judy pressed forward in learning about her roommate.

Judy learned about Trisha's college life which was actually full of late night hangouts, parties, and the occasional prank. Judy especially enjoyed the one where Trisha stole the school's mascot statue, a squirrel in knight's armor, and kept him around her apartment for a week. When asked why she did such a thing Trisha responded with, "I had an idea for this sitcom..."

It was during her last years of college that Trisha needed a new job and decided to get her bartending license. She had a knack for mixing drinks and got certified with no trouble at all. She had searched the city for a bar that was right for her and eventually found the 10-7. It was at this point Delta joined in the story.

"I remember when she got hired," Delta began. "My sister called me up and kept talking about this sweet bunny that walked right in and applied. Acted like she owned the place!"

"I did not!" Trisha laughed, "I was perfectly professional!"

"You said you wanted to see Echo naked!" Delta shot back.

Judy gave Trisha a knowing look and the doe waved her paws about, "it's not like that! She said she was decent and I made a joke! That's it!"

"Who is Echo?" Judy asked as she looked up at Trisha who was currently sitting in front of the gray doe.

"My boss," Trisha answered.

"My sister," Delta added.

"My hero," Nick said as he raised his glass and took a swig of beer.

"Wait really?" Judy asked as she looked at Trisha, then Delta, then finally at Nick.

Before the painted dog could answer, another question that popped into her mind. "Her name is Echo? Your's is Delta…"

"Brother named Bravo too," Delta said with a smile.

"Your parents bought the wrong baby naming book there bud," Nick teased with a wink.

Delta rolled his eyes and sighed, Judy could tell this was a topic he had covered many times before.

"It's actually an old tradition with painted dogs. The name of each child should reflect the history of the family. Our family have been in the business of protecting others for a while. My great grandmother started this new tradition after her time in the military."

"Learn something new every day," Trisha said with a sweet smile towards her canine.

"I know the feeling," Judy said with a wink towards Trisha. "So five brothers huh?" Judy asked, returning to Trisha's family life.

The brown doe groaned and nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I love them to death but you can guess what it was like being the only girl."

"No, can't say I can," Judy admitted with a shrug.

"Well let's just say I get my confidence from them. Also my sense of humor."

"Anything else?" Delta asked with a suggestive smile.

Trisha glared over at the painted dog. "I said that in drunken confidence."

"What?" Judy asked suddenly interested.

Trisha let out a sigh and looked over at Judy, her eyes going up and down the gray doe. Judy blushing at the somewhat hungry look in Trisha's eyes. "Maybe my appreciation for certain sights…and certain…mammals."

"Drink it all in darling," Nick said as he flexed his arm. The group let out a collective series of laughs as Nick gave Trisha a smirk.

Judy let out a sigh when she finally regained some composure. "So that explains…things."

"That and she is a bunny." Had this comment come from either of the canines it would have earned them a jab, but been brushed off. The comment, however, didn't come from Nick or Delta though. It had come from the bobcat who was finishing up his beer once more. He didn't look right at the group but it was obvious that he had been listening in. As if he was some kind of nameless voyeur with nothing better to do.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Trisha asked as she stood up on the bar and eyed the bobcat with contempt. Judy was somewhat impressed with just how confident Trisha could be in the face of a predator. Especially a drunk one three times her size.

"Listen here," the bobcat began. "I have been watching you this whole time. And you know what, you aren't really doing anything to help bunny stereotypes."

"Which one is that?" Trisha asked in a serious tone. Judy wasn't used to hearing Trisha act serious and felt a shiver run through her.

"The one where you sleep around with any mammal that gives you a smile."

There was a crash behind Judy and she turned to see Delta standing up. His fangs bared.

"Easy!" Nick said firmly as he looked at the canine. "She can handle herself," Nick said in a low voice. Delta drew in a sharp breath and Judy noticed he was flexing his paws, a sign that he would listen but was ready to attack at any second.

Nick however was right. Though Trisha was among friends that would do anything for her, the bunny could handle herself. However the words still stung Judy, who felt a wave of anger at the feline's words. Again she felt Nick's paw on her leg give her a reassuring squeeze, giving her some of her calm back to roll back the tide of anger that had built up within her.

"I mean I can't be the only one right?" the bobcat asked as he looked around the bar. He was met with stares, and quite a few glares from the crowd. Trisha stood in shock in front of the bobcat, her open mouth quivering slightly. "I mean let's face it the only thing you are good at is serving drinks, looking good, and screwing!"

"Hey now!" came a stern voice in the bar.

"Plus I see how you play with that fox!" The bobcat pointed a paw at Nick who growled. "We all know something is going on there!"

"First off, he is taken!" Judy shouted at the predator and pointed to herself.

"Oh really?" the bobcat laughed. "Then obviously she is just here to satisfy some threesome fetish!"

Judy reacted to what she knew was about to happen and put her paw out to stop Delta from charging forward. She didn't have to use much strength, the action was enough to keep the canine in check. Still in his tactical gear, the painted dog looked like a tough fight and gave off a heat of rage that caused several mammals to worry if he intended to knock the bobcat out or skin the loud feline alive.

"She is spoken for bud, now I suggest..."

"By you?" The bobcat slurred as he eyed the canine. "Yeah no... the way I see it she belongs to the fox! I mean all I have seen since I have gotten here is her, the beach bunny, and fox. Yeah sure you get a smooch but talk about forced!"

Delta looked over at Nick who shrugged at the canine. Delta gritted his teeth. Sure Trisha liked flirting and playing around with Nick but that's just who she was. The painted dog and fox both knew who she belonged to in the end. That should have been enough but hearing the rather rude mammal blurt it out loud was a bit much for the officer. "You're lucky there are medics here bud."

"I am not gonna need a medic for this," The bobcat said huskily as he smashed his beer on the counter.

Before the inebriated cat could make a move, he felt a paw tap him on the shoulder. He turned to see the large arctic wolf looking into his eyes with fire in her own.

"Don't need a medic but he is going to," the bobcat began to say. In one fluid motion the wolf grabbed the bobcat by the shoulder and pulled back, at the same time she swept one of the feline's feet from under him causing him to fall on his back.

The wolf then put her large foot on the bobcat's throat and bared her fangs. "Apologize to the bunny!" she growled in a low and determined voice.

The bobcat hissed and started to squirm under the wolf's strong foot. Before the wolf could speak a large tiger paw squeezed her shoulder. The wolf let out a low growl and turned slightly. The tiger Trisha had been serving earlier in the firehouse shirt was standing with a determined look on his face.

Delta took a few steps forward and Nick stood from his seat as Judy sat on her stool and swayed slightly, the drink running through her veins causing the room to spin a little.

Before a fight broke out between the canines and felines the tiger spoke in a calm and confident voice. "If you wouldn't mind removing your foot from him. This is a firehouse affair," the tiger said as he looked down at the bobcat who smiled confidently. The smug look however vanished at the next words, "and should be handled by firefighters. This one needs to be taught some manners…the firehouse way."

Whatever the firehouse way was, Judy could tell it wasn't a good one from just how pale the bobcat turned as he tried to squirm away. The wolf removed her foot from the troublemaker and the tiger, along with several other mammals in various firefighter apparel, descended on the bobcat and dragged him out of the bar.

Once the group was gone the wolf turned to Trisha who had a look of pure admiration on her beautiful face.

"Tha-"

The wolf raised a paw and stopped Trisha from speaking her gratitude.

"I don't like hearing such hate, especially when it's said to my favorite barkeep."

"Oi! What am I?" Em popped up from behind the bar.

"Your second place!" Trisha shouted and flicked her tail at Em who laughed.

Trisha then turned to look back at the wolf and was surprised to see the canine had walked back to her corner of the counter. Trisha however wasn't going to have any of it and looked at her friends and then nodded to the wolf. Everyone understood and gathered their drinks and moved to the other part of the bar. Judy needed to be carried by Nick at this point. She giggled as the swim trunks clad fox carried her bridal style. She closed her eyes and nuzzled into the bright russet fur of the fox's chest.

Delta took the seat on one side of the wolf who looked over in surprise. Delta didn't speak but raised his beer in salute to the fellow canine. Nick took up residence on the other side of the wolf and tried to put Judy down on the stool next to him but she started to groan and gave off some rather odd noises. The fox gave up and let the bunny curl up and nuzzle into his chest. Nick looked over at the wolf and shrugged.

"Bunnies..." he muttered.

The wolf and painted dog next to him both chuckled as Trisha strolled over with a pitcher of beer and poured the canines each a glass before sitting down in front of Delta.

The three predators took a sip of the freshly poured beer and nodded in agreement at the doe's choice in beverage.

"So what do we call our knight in medic armor?" Nick asked as he eyed the snow white wolf.

The canine chuckled and nodded at the fox, "Names Nicole."

"Nick," the fox said as he raised a glass and then nodded to Judy. "And this little bundle of cuddles is my partner Judy."

"Partner?" Nicole asked as she raised an eyebrow at the couple.

"Not like..." Nick began and then thought for a moment and smirked. "No comment."

Delta and Trisha both chuckled at the fox's answer. Nicole gave a weak smile. She was obviously still fighting some demons in her mind, but the arrival of the others seemed to be helping her. The introductions however were interrupted by the return of the firehouse mammals who all strolled back to their table except the tiger. The predator walked up to the group and nodded at Trisha.

"On behalf of my team we just want to apologize for all that. There was a problem, but we have since corrected it."

"No worries," Trisha said with a smile at the large predator. Her bright eyes shining and telling the tiger there were no hard feelings.

"He felt so bad about his actions, so he wanted me to give you this," the tiger said as he out a wad of cash on the counter.

"Did he now?" Trisha asked with a giggle, having a feeling it was a bit of a lie.

"Well I assume he did, hard to tell. I may just be reaching."

"Well tell him he may be an ass," Trisha said as she crawled across the bar and scooped up the money. "But he is a great tipper!"

The mammals at the bar all shared a long laugh as Trisha skipped behind the counter and deposited the money into a tip jar.

"So does that happen a lot?" Nicole asked when Trisha returned to her friends.

"Sadly…" Trisha said with a weak smile, "more than it should. Some mammals just kind of get a little drunk or maybe start talking out their ass. But we tend to just ignore 'em."

"Or hire a kick-ass wolf to wallop them," Em shouted from the register.

Nicole chuckled and raised her glass at Em. "You just call me and I'll be there."

"Well, I have a way of handling mammals who have a problem with me," Trisha said playfully.

"Really now?" Delta asked as he looked at his bunny.

Trisha smirked and then stood up on the bar and put her paws on her hips and struck a pose. "I am Trisha! I do what I want! Deal with it!"

"And when that doesn't work?" Delta asked as he eyed his bunny.

Trisha smirked and looked down at the painted dog then leapt at him. Delta nearly fell out of his seat but managed to maintain his balance as the brown ball of fur wrapped her arms around her. "That's where you come in!"

Delta groaned, "What have I gotten myself into?"

"Best relationship ever, that's what!" Trisha teased as she gave the canine a long kiss on the cheek. Trisha's lips lingered for a second and Delta stiffened.

"Don't you dare!"

It was too late as a loud wet noise emanated from the canine's cheek as Trisha gave him a rather wet raspberry.

* * *

 **Hey everyone.**

 **So hope you enjoyed learning a little more about Trisha and Delta. I know some of you JudyxNick fans are probably wanting more of those two but I wanted to write a chapter about my OC's and show a little more of their backgrounds.**

 **I receive a lot of reviews that don't get posted because of either language, attitude, or just down right bullying like behavior which I am not a fan of.**

 **Fox has defended me and covered this topic so many times in his story but I feel it is time for me to step up and state my own case.**

 **Trisha is my favorite character. Besides Atom of course. She is a bubbly, fun loving, flirty, ball of happiness. She was planned out for this story since chapter 1. So was Delta and Atom actually. I will admit I have introduced some characters that have been created last minute to just get a scene moving. Tammy was supposed to be one of them but she evolved in my story so very well. To the point where Fox wanted to use her which I absolutely love! He has done some amazing work with her and I am so glad that he has added his own ideas and made that character his own.**

 **When it comes to Trisha however I am very particular. To the point of craziness. You can go ask him and the other authors who have had to deal with me.**

 **Everything about her though has already been thought up. By me and the craziness that's running around in my mind.**

 **I get that Fox has shown some parts to Trisha's life I didn't show yet in my own story. But that's because I thought you all wanted more JudyxNick. However with all these messages and reviews about how he has covered her more I guess I will just have to show you what I have made for Trisha and what I have planned for all my characters. So get ready for that.**

 **Oh and for all those guest reviews trying to get me down with borderline cyber bullying. Take a moment to make an actual account so we can talk this out civil like. Otherwise I will just have to keep proving you wrong this way. This ain't to say all guest reviewers are bad. Some have been constructive and helpful. While others have been encouraging and awesome! Keep doing your thing!**

 **Of course this wouldn't be a fun A/N if I only covered the bad stuff.**

 **A lot of you have given me so much support throughout this story. You know who you are and should take a bow. This was my first work on Fanfic and it is still growing just like me. I am trying to change my writing style into something you all can continue to enjoy! I am grateful for the support and the criticism when done constructive like. So please keep those reviews coming so I know what you all like and what I can improve on.**

 **I hope you all continue liking the story. Maybe I will even start like writing it again now.**

 **Special Thanks to _Cimar of Turalis Wildehopps_ for editing this chapter for me! You did an awesome job. **

**Also thanks to _Fox in the hen house_ for just being awesome and putting up with all this. **

**-Blue**


	46. Can you forgive me Chief?

**Can you forgive me Chief?**

Judy looked around the sea of boxes that now filled the once empty apartment. A look of trepidation in her face as her purple eyes scanned all the items in the room; each one representing work she and Trisha would have to finish.

One if the big issues of moving into a new place was the fact that it took so much work to make it a home. Especially when you had to furnish it yourself. Not that Judy was regretting getting this particular unit. It saved Trisha and Judy a small fortune on rent if they took care of filling the apartment themselves.

The past few days had been a welcome distraction actually. After what had happened in the Rainforest district, Judy was in need of distracting herself from life in general.

So much had happened in such a short amount of time. Jim making an appearance at the beach was the last thing the doe needed. It reminded her of the challenges she would have to face. Every time she had seen that bastard he had managed to mock her. He would be so close and she could do nothing about it. She ran through scenarios in her mind sometimes as to what might happen if she just threw caution to the wind and attacked.

However every time she did images of what happened at the tundra town mall played in her mind. A mammal would be hit with Nighthowler and go on a terrible rampage, injuring themselves and those around them.

As if this wasn't enough, Judy now had to face a new fact she never thought she would worry about. Nick's past had been brought into question. The fact that he actually knew Jim was one thing. It was made far worse though by the revelation that Nick had warned the insane rabbit about the ZPD trap so long ago. The trap that eventually lead to the death of Bogo's partner. Though it was no real fault of Nick's on how Jim operated, he wasn't exactly 100% guilt free. What else had he been hiding from Judy about his past?

Judy felt her paws clenching into fists as her emotions ran wild. She let out a low growl and felt her body begin to shake as she closed her eyes. This was another reminder of Jim though. Thanks to him, Judy now had to face this life of keeping her emotions in check. Her exposure to the Nighthowler serum had compromised her mental state and the doctors still had no idea how long it would last.

Judy felt her muscles begin to tense up as the anger boiled inside her. Before she lost total control though she was saved by a pair of brown paws that gentle rubbed either of Judy's arms.

"Easy Judy," Trisha whispered from behind in a loving manner.

Judy felt her heart rate begin to even out and the anger was kept in check as she was wrapped in a hug from her room mate from behind.

Trisha began to hum a soft tune as she nuzzled into the gray doe currently held in her arms.

Through all of this Trisha had been a real trooper. She had looked after Judy and begun to understand the signs of when Judy may lose herself to her own emotions. When that happened, Trisha would leap into action. Whether it was by giving Judy a little affection or maybe doing something goofy.

They had run into a scenario like this yesterday at ZooKea. The famous furniture store attracted mammals from all over the city. The store had a unique business plan.; they'd sell furniture at discounted prices, but the customer would have to build the items themselves.

Of course with prices like that it was no surprise that the store was normally busy. During their visit, Judy had an episode when she heard someone growling in the crowd. It turned out to be a group of teenagers messing around with one another in the couch section. However Judy had instantly snapped into police mode and worried there had been a Nighthowler attack in the store.

Before she completely lost it, however, Trisha leapt into action and tossed Judy onto a couch. The gray doe was completely caught off guard and watched as her friend grabbed a pillow and held it to her body.

Judy watched for a moment as Trisha lined her self up only to leap into the air, holding the pillow to her stomach. She then shouted "Judy sandwich!" as she landed on top of the gray bunny, the pillow squished between them.

Judy didn't know whether to push Trisha off or hug her close as she laughed till she cried. The two does enjoying a silly moment together. The mammals nearby thought the two does we're somewhat odd and wrote it off as a kind of game.

Judy and Trisha however knew it was something else though. It was a reminder that though Judy was recovering, she wasn't all there just yet.

Of course Judy was grateful for Trisha and all the brown doe put up with recently, however, she felt that this wasn't Trisha's burden. It should have been Nick standing by her side when she started to feel herself lose control. It should have been Nick holding her close as she felt an anger inside her. It should have been Nick…

The fox had been absent the past two days. He of course checked in on Judy via texts but that was it. Judy was surprisingly grateful for this sometimes. Though she loved Nick and cared about him she just needed some space to clear her mind. The recent revelation of Nick's past was a lot to process.

Nick being the amazing mammal he was took it all in stride and would give Judy just the right amount of attention. His text messages never seemed needy or annoying. He sent her pictures of his day from time to time and even had food delivered to the apartment so the two room mates could focus on unpacking and building their new furniture.

"You ok?" Trisha asked softly as she nuzzled Judy from behind.

Judy took in a deep breath and nodded as she slowly opened her eyes.

She decided it was best not to focus on all this right now and maybe just figure out how they would build the couch which currently stood in a massive box.

"Why did we get such a big couch?" Judy groaned as she stepped forward and read the fancy name on the side.

"Well one I think Couchlukin is just an awesome name," Trisha teased as she leaned against the box and smiled at Judy. "And two, it has proven to be super comfy and Judy sandwich proof."

Judy rolled her eyes, but let out a soft chuckle. The couch the pair had decided on was the same one that Trisha had used as an impromptu stress relief item.

"It's so big though Trisha!" Judy exclaimed as she held her paws up in the air. A sudden snort had her eye lids drooping however as she looked at her immature room mate

"Bet Nick has heard that before too," Trisha said with a wink.

Judy rolled her eyes before they glazed over as the fond memory of her time in the hotel room with her fox resurfaced.

Her emotions were all over the place today and though she felt frustrated with the fox one second, she found herself longing for him at the same time. She knew she would forgive him for everything eventually. She just hoped he would wait for her while she did.

Trisha brought Judy back into reality as the brown bunny began to laugh at Judy's expression.

Judy snapped out of her own thoughts and blushed as she looked over at Trisha.

"If it makes you feel any better," Trisha began as she took a step towards Judy. "I get the same way whenever I think of a certain painted dog."

"Atom?" Judy asked playfully which caused both bunny's to burst out laughing.

There was a knock at the door and both does looked over at the entrance of their apartment.

"Speaking of painted dogs," Trisha said happily as she skipped over towards the door. "Hope you don't mind but I invited a certain someone to come over and help with the heavy lifting."

Judy felt a slight pang of jealousy. Trisha must have invited Delta over to help with some of the boxes. She didn't know why but she felt suddenly empty at the thought that Trisha would now have her canine here helping while she would simply be missing Nick.

"Well as long as you two don't ruin the couch I'm happy for the extra help," Judy teased.

"No promises," Trisha said playfully as she gave Judy a wink. The brown bunny then reached up and opened the door.

Judy busied herself with opening another box as she heard the door close behind her. She let out a surprised squeal however as she was suddenly lifted up into the air and squeezed by a pair of strong canine paws.

Judy squirmed at first but felt a large muzzle beginning to nuzzle into her neck as a series of rapid sniffing noises came from the mammal behind her.

"Atom?" Judy asked suddenly as a broad smile crossed her lips.

There was a loud snort as the canine set Judy down. The gray doe turned around and beamed at the painted mammal. Her mood suddenly changing to one of joy as she saw her friend standing before her.

She had to stifle a laugh as she noticed what Atom was wearing. Nick and Atom must have shopped at the same store as the painted dog was rocking a bright blue Pawaiian shirt and a pair of shorts.

"Looking good," Judy giggled as she suddenly leapt forward and wrapped her paws around Atom's waist. She felt the canine begin to shake with excitement as he wrapped his arms around Judy and squeezed her close to his chest.

Judy lost herself in the moment as she closed her eyes and nuzzled against the canine. Breathing in his scent and just letting herself enjoy the attention from her friend.

"Thanks again for coming around and helping with this neighbor," Trisha said as she joined the two officers in the living room.

Judy opened her eyes at Atoms title and looked up at the canine.

"Wait…neighbor?" she asked as she told her head in curiosity.

Atom beamed and nodded rapidly as he closed his eyes.

Trisha leaned close to Judy and smiled with a smugness that would rival Nick's.

"Who do you think told me about this place?" Trisha asked as she joined in on the hug and wrapped her arms around Atom's waist.

To say Atom was in heaven was an understatement as the canine began to snort with happiness. At one point lifting both does in his arms and squeezing them till they began to laugh. Eventually though, the gang had to get back to work.

Atom proved his worth as he lifted a few boxes here and there and even managing to assemble to couch with some direction from Trisha. The painted dog letting out a wheezing noise as Trisha showed him the instructions which had the odd name written in bold across the top.

They weren't completely unpacked, but they had gotten a lot done in a short amount of time. Once the couch had been assembled the painted dog and the two bunnies took a moment to sit back and recover from the hard work. Trisha not hesitating to lay her head across Atom's lap as she looked up at her cellphone. Her ears flopping over the canine who was sitting with his eyes closed as he took a moment to relax.

Judy was about to take a moment to join the two in the comfortable cuddle session when her phone started going off. She looked around for a moment and spied the device on the counter in the kitchen. She hurried over and scooped the device up and looked at the screen.

A picture of Delta and Atom filled the screen along with Delta's name in bright white.

Judy smiled as she answered the phone.

"Hey Delta, how're you doing?" she asked. Planning on giving the canine a hard time for not showing up to help while Atom had found the time.

"Judy," Delta began, his voice carrying a sense of urgency. The tone caused Judy to straighten up. "It's Nick."

"What about him?" Judy asked quickly. Hundred of different scenarios playing out in her mind. "Is he ok?"

"He is right now," Delta explained. "He showed up here at the ZPD and went to see Bogo, the whole precinct is going nuts trying to figure what's up."

Judy began to panic as she realized what must be happening. Her heart fell to the pit of her stomach as she heard what the painted dog had to say next.

"Judy, he brought his gear bag in…all his uniforms and everything! What's going on?"

If Nick had brought all his ZPD gear it could mean only one thing. Judy quickly ran through the kitchen and grabbed her shield and wallet.

"Atom!" she shouted from the kitchen as she looked over at the couch. The painted dog looked up and over at Judy as Trisha stood up so she could see her room mate. "Please tell me you have a car!"

Across Zootopia in the city's center, a fox sat in the heart of the ZPD building on the top floor. A large duffel bag stuffed full of his uniforms placed in the chair next to him.

He looked down at a small object in his paw and gently ran a digit over it. His shield glistened in the light and shined back at him. Nick's heart sunk as he stared at the small trinket that carried so much weight with it.

The fox had been staring at the shield for a while now and had become lost in thought. A sadness was in his normally bright emerald eyes. He didn't want this. He had worked so hard and so long. He had made so many friends and turned his life around. However, he hadn't been able to sleep since the day at the beach. His doe was barely able to forgive him and when word got out about his past, he had a feeling his group of friends would all but vanish.

"Wilde?" Bogo asked as the Cape buffalo peered out of his office, having been informed the fox was here to see him.

"Chief Bogo," Nick said professionally. Something that caused the buffalo to suddenly become apprehensive. The chief eyed Nick with hesitation and then noticed the large duffle bag sitting next to the vulpine.

"Come in, Wilde," the chief said with trepidation.

Nick reached for the duffle bag and had trouble at first lifting it up. It suddenly became a great deal lighter and Nick looked up to see the chief lifting the bag and eyeing it.

"If you expect me to do your dry cleaning Wilde you are going to have another thing coming to you," the buffalo muttered. It was not just a joke but a test. The chief was smart, he had to be, and he was in charge of the finest officers in the city. One of whom was currently standing before him.

"It's not that," Nick muttered.

This really caused Bogo to worry. He had fully expected some kind of joke or a snarky remark. To hear the fox with this tone caused Bogo to wonder exactly what was going on. He, however, began to put it together as he noticed the bag was stuffed to the point it couldn't close with different uniforms.

Bogo turned away from Nick and strolled into his office, the fox following close behind him. Nick managed to grab the door and slowly closed it behind him, making sure no one would disturb them while he did the hardest thing he would ever do.

By the time Judy arrived at the ZPD, she was a total wreck. She tried her best to put on a brave face but her eyes showed just how panicked she was. Atom had driven her and Trisha to the ZPD, Judy thanking him constantly during the trip. The canine gave her a friendly smile, but also picked up on her panic and would whine from time to time. He obviously was happy to help but was really concerned for Judy.

When they pulled up to the building Judy darted out of Atom's car before he could even pull to a full stop, followed closely by Trisha. The brown doe stopped though on the sidewalk and gave Judy a worried look. The gray doe looked over her shoulder for a moment and paused. Trisha let out a sigh and waved her paws forward, insisting Judy go on her own. Judy sat silent for a moment, wondering why this seemed suddenly harder without her friend. She then gave Trisha a firm nod and proceeded up the steps, her feet carrying her as fast as they could. Trisha then strolled over to where Atom parked his car, just at one end of the large stairs that led up to the ZPD building.

As the canine jumped out of his car and tried to run to where he saw Judy entering the building he paused as he felt a small brown paw wrap around his wrist and gave a tug. The painted dog looked down at Trisha and tilted his head slightly.

"They need to do this together, without back up," she explained.

Atom let his ears droop forward and let out a soft whine.

"I know, but we can't be with her all the time sweetie," Trisha said as she brought herself to Atom's waist and gave him a squeeze. "Tell ya what, why don't we go wait for them at Max's. I'll text her in a bit and when she and Nick are all better they can join us for milkshakes."

The mentioning of ice cream suddenly perked up Atom's mood and he walked paw in paw with Trisha towards the café right next door to the ZPD.

Nick hadn't answered his phone the whole ride over to the ZPD headquarters which only increased Judy's dread. Scenario after scenario played out in her mind. What would she find when she came face to face with Nick. Would he still be an officer? Would Bogo fire him? Another set of terrible images flashed in her mind. Nick being led out in cuffs as he was walked through the very halls he once called home.

No...none of that would happen. Not on Judy's watch. Suddenly nothing mattered to her except that she found Nick. She didn't care about his past, his secrets, or his annoying puns. All she cared about was holding him close or at least sitting close to him while he faced Bogo.

She began to wonder how things would go as she bounded up the massive stairs in the rotunda of the precinct building. No doubt the reason he had shown up in the manner he had was to reveal to Bogo what he had done in his past. How he knew the mammal responsible for all this. Images of Bogo demanding Nick's badge we're quickly pushed from Judy's mind as she refused to accept that as a possibility. If Nick went then….well then they would be carrot farmers together.

Judy's thoughts had kept her so focused on getting to Bogo's office that she ignored all the looks and questions from her fellow officers. She would find the time to apologize to them later. For now, though, she was a bunny on a mission.

By the time she reached the large door with her superior's name on it, she was confident and resolute to the fact that she would face this problem with Nick.

This confidence quickly fled however, when she suddenly opened the door to the office and stormed in. Sitting in the dimly lit room were the mammals she had expected. No surprise there. What _was_ surprising, however, was Bogo, who was sitting back in his seat with his arms crossed. An almost bored look on his face.

"Was wondering when you'd storm in, Hopps," Bogo muttered as he rubbed his temple. "I swear nothing goes down in this building without most of my officers knowing about it before they're half way through the shift."

"Sir you can't-" Judy began to speak as she walked into the office, closing the door behind her.

"Judy," Nick said firmly. The fox giving her a look.

"So tell me Hopps, did you know about Nick's past?"

"She has no idea sir," Nick lied as he gave Judy a pleading look.

He must have done the math already. He knew that his own career was in jeopardy but there was no point bringing Judy down with him.

Judy had a second to respond. That's all it would take. One second would either save her career or end it. She had worked so hard for all this. She had clawed her way through the academy and become one of the most respected officers in the city. Her whole life had lead to this job. All she had to do was tell Bogo she was unaware of Nick's past.

During that second though the whole universe just faded away as Judy stared at Nick. Her purple eyes shimmering as different memories began to play in her mind. She was giving a speech at Nick's graduation. Her first day showing the rookie fox how things worked. Their first speeding ticket with an old friend. The first big case they worked together as officers. Their first…kiss.

All of it. Every bit of her memory of being in the blue uniform had a certain smug looking fox smiling at her. With that handsome look he would give her that made her knees go weak. Though she had only up until recently realized her feelings for Nick, these memories confirmed that those emotions had been present for some time.

All she had to do was say she wasn't aware.

She would stay here and Nick would be gone….

"I knew about it sir," Judy said firmly.

The look on Nick's face was at first one of complete dread as his head shook slightly. When Judy looked back at the fox however his expression changed. Judy didn't look saddened or worried. She had a subtle smile on her face as her eyes gazed into his own.

She had made her choice.

It was him.

"Then you can be part of this meeting," Bogo explained in an oddly calm tone as he nodded to the other seat in front of him.

Every step Judy took from this moment on felt heavier. She felt as if she were on her way to the gallows. Something inside her told her that if this was her last few minutes as an officer of the ZPD, then she might as well enjoy it.

The doe shocked both the other mammals in the office as she strolled past the empty seat next to Nick and instead climbed up on the seat currently occupied by a rather surprised fox. Nick scooted over slightly and made room for Judy who ignored the extra space and scooted closer to him. Having not seen him for two days she wanted to feel his fur against hers while the urge to sit on his lap was overwhelming. Judy had a feeling if Trisha was in the same scenario she would probably already be sitting on a certain painted dog's lap with a playful grin on her face. The thought of Trisha gave Judy some strength while the sudden pressure on Judy's paw gave her even more. The bunny looked down to see a black paw gently scoop hers up. If they were to be fired, they would be fired together.

The buffalo before them pursed his lips and let out a snort through his nose. His eyes were focused,. his gaze somewhat neutral. They sat in silence for a few minutes, waiting to hear their fate.

"I swear it's always the hardest working ones that cause the most headaches," the chief muttered as he leaned back in his seat and rubbed his temple once more.

Judy glanced at Nick but the fox kept his gaze on Bogo, a look of concentration on the canines face.

"So tell me again Wilde," Bogo began as he lowered his hooves to the desk before him and leaned forward. "Tell me your association with this, Jim, character.."

Nick took in a deep breathe. Judy began to shiver with anticipation. In fairness she only knew the surface of this problem. She knew Jim and Nick knew one another and she knew Nick had warned Jim of the ZPD once long ago. That was all she knew however.

To Bogo's merit, the large buffalo remained silent during the whole explanation. He must have been aware of certain parts of Nick's past or he had an amazing poker face. As Nick listed off a few of his not so innocent dealings, the chief remained stoic, his gaze never breaking from Nick's.

Judy, however, let her emotions show for everyone in the room to see. Her ears raised at certain parts of the story. Her eyes would widen only to narrow once more. It wasn't all because of what Nick had done however. The story painted a rather interesting picture. The fox having followed the law for the most part. Though skimming the line from time to time, the worse he could be held accountable for was tax evasion. Something that neither Bogo or Judy would hold against him. The first few days of their friendship popped into Judy's mind as a dumbfounded fox stood before her as she began to do the math as to how much the fox owed the government in back taxes.

Nick explained his relationship to Jim. How he had met the rabbit during a certain hustle. The two of them hitting it off rather well. Nick admitting that though he liked to think he could read mammals and their intentions, he had been completely caught off guard about Jim.

There had been subtle hints and signs. The fox admitting he would brainstorm with the rabbit on certain off jobs. Nick normally having to stop the crazed rabbit when he would start making suggestions that would turn a job from a simple hustle to a full blown armed robbery.

There was also a few cases in which the rabbit would work a gig with another mammal. Only to have them disappear through a series of odd circumstances. Many folks in their line of work had begun to avoid Jim, or Evan, as he had been known back then. Worried that they too would end up on the wrong end of the rabbit during a job. Nick, however, always liked to dance with danger and thought he was smart enough to see when things would go south.

As it turns out, the pawpsicle hustle that Judy had first witnessed from Nick and Finnick had been a brainstorm of Jim's. The rabbit handling a lot of the behind the scenes work and eventually pawing it over to Nick. The rabbit apparently growing bored of the hustle.

Nick got to the big event after explaining his relationship with Jim. Apparently he had slowly been cutting ties with the rabbit thanks to Finnick. The smaller fox getting an odd feeling about Jim and finally convincing Nick that while they were looking to make some quick cash, this rabbit was obviously wanting to actually cause harm for the sake of it.

So Nick had slowly and steadily distanced himself, but when word had reached the fox of the ZPD's plan, the fox felt he owed Jim a fair warning. If he had been keeping up with Jim and what the small mammal had been up to he would have gladly told the ZPD where to catch him. For all his knowledge and wit, he'd been blind to what Jim had been doing throughout the city. All the media coverage of the event was downplayed in an attempt to keep the general public from panicking. He had, however, begin to put things together and had his suspicions that all the fires, robberies, and horrific events had all been connected somehow.

It wasn't until after the events involving the ZPD trap which led to the death of officer Tops that Nick finally pieced everything together.

He had been mortified ny his part in it all. He hadn't slept for weeks after and admitted he had contemplated turning himself in.

"I realized if I did I would be locked away for good," Nick muttered as he reached into his duffle bag which had been laid down next to his chair. Besides being stuffed with his work clothes and uniforms it also contained a small folder which Nick opened and placed onto the desk while sliding it towards Bogo. "And would not have had a chance to try and..well..try to make it just a fraction better."

Bogo looked at the paper before him. Judy had trouble reading what it said, but she recognized the letter head. A logo of one of the larger banks in Zootopia was in the corner along with several numbers. Judy recognized some of it as an account number and she also had no problem reading Nick's upside down name. What was odd was his name was one of two on the paper. The other were two names which Judy realized were the same mammal: Angelica Tops/Angelica Bogo.

"Wilde?" Bogo asked as he looked at the document. His eyes widening as he read through the documents. The buffalo doing a double take at the number which indicated the amount in the bank account.

"I'm the reason her father is gone..." Nick finally said in one of the most morose tones Judy had ever heard come from the fox. "I just wanted to try and do what I was sure her father would want. It's all set up. She can use it for college, or a home, or whatever she needs it for. When she graduates this year, I had intended to send her the account information. Of course after I removed my name…I still haven't found it in me to..well.."

Bogo was frozen as a confused look crossed the buffalo's face.

"Wilde this…this.." For once the mighty leader of the ZPD was stuttering as he searched for the words.

"It's not enough…" Nick said after a deep sigh. "It will never be enough."

Judy felt the tears rolling down her cheek as she turned to look at Nick. Had she known this she would have treated him so much differently.

This whole time he had a reason to be hustling. A reason to earn as much cash as he could. He was trying to find a way to take care of the young cheetah who had lost her father. This whole time he hadn't been scamming mammals in an attempt to get rich. No, he had been doing it for a completely different reason.

"Nick…" Judy whispered as she squeezed his paw. She wanted more than anything to embrace her fox right there and then. To hold him close and beg for his forgiveness. She had been so cold to him lately and this whole time he had been doing something so amazing she couldn't begin to describe it.

"Jim intended to blackmail me. He was going to hold this information over my head so I wouldn't speak and play his games," Nick began, looking directly at Bogo. "I will accept whatever you decide to do to me. I will tell you everything I know about Jim. How he operates, his contacts, even the aliases I knew him as. I don't want anything in exchange though. I don't deserve it."

Bogo looked up from the folder with all the account information and was about to speak but Nick continued.

"I hereby submit my resignation from the ZPD. I don't want my past to hinder this investigation-"

The door to Bogo's office suddenly burst open and all three mammals turned to see what had caused the interruption. Clawhauser was standing in the doorway. Completely out of breath with a panic in his eyes.

"Clawhauser, what is it? I told you unless it's an emergency I should not be disturbe-"

"Officer down!" Benny shouted with dread.

Bogo shot out of his seat as did Nick and Judy.

"Where? What happened?"

"Just next door at Max's café," Benny began to explain as Bogo stormed from his office. The two off duty officers on his heels. "An off duty canine detector from tactical."

Judy felt her heart tear apart at the description. She put two and two together rather quickly. She had been driven here by Atom. They would have surely wanted to wait for her. So where else would they?

"Atom!" Judy screamed as she darted ahead of the slower mammals.

"Hopps! Wait!" Bogo barked but it fell on deaf ears.

"No no no, please not him." Judy thought as she felt tears rolling down her cheeks.

She thought she heard Nick call out to her but she was already running through a door and down a staircase. The elevator would have been far too slow. As she reached the bottom floor she burst through the lobby and looked straight ahead towards the door. What she saw caused her veins fill with a cold sensation.

Several tactical officers were running right through the lobby with all the mammals in the large atrium doing there best to get out of the team's way. There at the front of the pack was Delta. The painted dog barreling through the large glass doors so quickly Judy heard the metal creak, he must have broken something. None of the officers however stopped to see what damage had been caused.

Judy managed to catch up to the group and followed right behind them as they all tried to keep up with Delta. The canine showing off some tremendous speed as he practically leapt down the steps of the ZPD's main building. Of course no one could blame him. They must have heard the tone out as well. Delta having been at work for some kind of meeting. When the call went out he must have assumed the worse.

Sadly for him, he had been right…

When the group arrived on scene less than a minute or two later they barreled through the police tape. A few squad cars already on scene and the sound of sirens approaching in the distance told everyone more help was on the way.

Delta ran right through the open door and came skidding to a halt as he scanned the room. His eyes found what he had been dreading and Judy could see the exact moment when Delta's world came to a shattering stop.

The painted dog ran forward to several officers currently standing over Atom, one of them applying pressure to a wound just below the shoulder while another was tightening a belt in an attempt to stop blood loss from a shot to the leg.

"Out of my way, Medic coming through," barked a white wolf carrying a large blue bag with a white cross on it. The officers followed instruction except for the one holding pressure on the upper wound. He knew he would have to wait till told to release pressure.

When an officer is hit in the line of duty, many emotions are felt through the whole department. Panic, fear, sadness. However in the spur of the moment those emotions must be pushed to the side if there is any hope of stopping a brother in blue from crossing over.

"Atom sweetie, it's me Stitch," the wolf cooed as she tossed her bag next to the wounded mammal who gave off a whine. Stitch already had a set of gloves on and was quickly reaching for some objects in her bag.

Atom reached up and with one good paw began to make a series of paw gestures. Delta leaned forward over the canine, doing his best to keep the tears from flowing out.

"Right here bud, I'm right here," Delta said in what could only be described as a sad but loving tone.

Atom continued to make some paw gestures but Delta reached out. "Not now bud, just lay still. Stitch is gonna get you patched up. Then we get to go to the hospital with all those cute nurses who were loving on you." Delta tried to keep some composure but the shaking in his voice caused Judy to let tears roll down her cheek.

Atom did something odd however which caused Delta to stop and focus. The wounded canine pushed Delta's paw away and continued to make a series of gestures.

"Calm down," Delta said as he tried to reach out. Atom however winced as he swatted at Delta's paw and signed once more.

"Don't fight!" Stitch barked as she began to bandage up the wound on Atom's leg. "I need him still, just shut up and tell me what he is saying."

Delta watched the blood soaked paw as it began to form several shapes. His eyes widened. "Trisha?" Delta asked as he looked up and scanned the room.

Judy froze as she remembered that Atom and Trisha had come to the ZPD with her. Now though, the brown doe was absent. Judy looked around as she felt panic course through her. It was at this point Nick and Bogo arrived. Both of them out of breathe as they surveyed the scene.

"No, we will send someone else to find her, I am sure she is-" Delta tried to argue with Atom who started to sign harder. "No, I am not leaving you, don't you dare tr-" Delta was cut off as Atom reached forward and grabbed Delta's vest and pulled forward. He then did something Judy never thought he would hear. Atom let out a low growl as his eyes filled with fire. For those who knew Atom they understood the severity of the action.

Delta froze as he looked down at his partner and then to Stitch. The wolf was busy mending Atom, but took a moment to nod at the painted dog. Though Atom had been hit it wasn't on any major arteries. He would be down for a bit but thanks to the medic and the quick thinking of his fellow officers, the detector would most likely pull through.

Delta leaned forward and gave his partner a kiss on the forehead. "I'll find her bud, you stay here and keep Stitch company."

Delta stood up and gave his partner one last look. Atom giving Delta a weak grin before closing his eyes and trying to focus on ignoring the pain. Delta turned to look at Bogo and walked like a dog on a mission right up to the chief.

"Atom says it was two of them. A rabbit and a wolf. Used a silencer on him and a tranq dart on her. He and Trisha were in the far booth," Delta explained. Judy couldn't get over how calm and collected the painted dog seemed. It was however important he maintained some composure though as he was the only one who could translate what Atom had said. "Right there, next to the side door. They came in, sat down in the booth with them. Atom got plugged in the chest first then the leg so he couldn't follow. They used some kind of silencer. Trisha was darted and carried off. Before Atom fell out of the booth he said he saw them running towards a green van which was headed south..."

Bogo looked from Delta and then to Atom, who was being treated on the floor of the diner. The sirens in the distance grew closer as an engine and rescue unit pulled up on scene. Their sirens going silent as several mammals jumped from the large vehicles and rushed to help give aid to a fellow protector of the city. Delta never looked away from Bogo though. Judy could only guess it was out of fear. Fear of looking back to see his wounded partner on the floor still.

Bogo had a stern look on his face at first but then leapt into action. He pulled out his cellphone and started to dial a number. He looked at a few officers on the perimeter and with his stare alone managed to corral a small group of them around him.

"Green Van. One wolf one rabbit, they most likely have a hostage. You all know Trisha form the 10-7?" Bogo asked. His look was full of ice and his tone demanding. The officers that had gathered all nodded quickly and Judy was left in awe. She thought she was well known in the department but officers she didn't recognize all nodded as they told the water buffalo before them they were aware of Trisha. "We will provide more information as soon as we can. For now get out there and find them. These monsters shot one of our brothers in cold blood and have our sister hostage. Bring her back!"

The crowd of officers started darting towards their vehicles while others ran back to the precinct.

Judy and Nick stood frozen as Bogo turned to look at the couple. His eyes went to the cast still on Nick's arm. "I reject your request to retire Wilde."

Nick gave the buffalo a shocked look. "You aren't to blame for Hank. I used to think I was but one day it hit me that the monster that pushed the detonator was. Today is the day that realization hits you because I will be damned if you think I will let your mind become clouded right now. I need you sharp and ready to go!"

Judy felt a shiver roll down her spine. She was elated that Nick had not only been forgiven, but was being told to stay sharp. However the cost was very great. Right now, somewhere in the city, Trisha was unconscious and most likely on her way to who knew what. Judy didn't want to take guesses but she wasn't going to fool herself. Jim had something to do with this. Just as he had with everything terrible that she had been through.

"Hopps," Bogo growled, bringing Judy's attention back to her superior. "Should I even try and send you home?"

Judy let her lip curl as she shook her head. "Wilde is in no shape to drive, you are still not cleared to return to work. Report to the bullpen and we will coordinate something."

"Room in my truck," Delta said quickly as he ran past Bogo. "Stay here!" With that the painted dog darted back towards the precinct. Judy could tell the poor officer was torn. On one end he wanted to stay with his partner but on the other he had promised Atom to bring Trisha back. She could only imagine the battle raging inside the canines head as he ran off.

Before Judy could speak up the buffalo put his phone to his head. "Get me traffic control now. I want the cameras around the precinct brought up. Look for..."

Bogo stormed off towards the precinct and left Nick and Judy with a few officers still holding the perimeter on the scene.

Judy turned to Nick who gave the doe a weak smile.

The bunny stared at the canine and then reached up and slapped him across the face, the fox letting out a yelp but standing firm and taking the hit.

"That's for trying to leave me," Judy growled. She then darted forward and wrapped her arms around Nick. "This is for helping find Trisha..."

"We will find her," Nick whispered. "I won't let him take her too…"

* * *

 **Special thanks to Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps for taking the time to edit this. You have such a busy schedule but you still find the time to help your friends which just shows how awesome you are.**

 **Sorry for the silence. You know how things go.**

 **Barkeeps was keeping me pretty pre occupied. Also Firewatch has been really heating up lately.**

 **However I am now diverting all my focus to Nighthowlers. Its time to start finishing this story up. We have a few chapters to go still. Lots will be going down.**

 **Lets finish this.**

 **-Blue**


	47. Gone Bunny Gone

**-Gone bunny gone-**

Four days.

Four long, sleepless, stressful, and Trishaless days.

That's how long it took for City Hall to finally step in and tell Bogo to move the search from active to inactive. The buffalo was exhausting resources and overtime. Any officer who wasn't on medical leave was called in to help with the search. Not that they needed much prompting. When word had gotten out that Trisha had gone missing many of her regulars from the 10-7 reported in to help track her down. It wasn't just the ZPD that was searching either. The ZFD normally didn't do much patrolling. Engines would most of the time rest in the firehouse to save on fuel and be ready. That didn't stop a few rather zealous mammals from starting more food runs in the massive trucks. What should take 20 minutes would turn into hour long rides as the mammals onboard scoured the city for the suspect's vehicles.

The Zootopia emergency services stepped up in a big way as well. It wasn't uncommon to see an ambulance lumbering through the city. Most of them remaining mobile so they could get to victims faster. Now though it seemed you couldn't go a whole block without seeing one slowly driving down the street. The medics on board looking for any sign of the missing mammal or the suspects.

One rescue unit thought they had the individuals responsible and called it into the ZPD. The wolf driving the van however started the engine to the suspicious looking vehicle so the moose medic in the driver seat panicked and drove right in front of the van and blocked the path.

In the end it had turned out to be a false alarm and after a great deal of apologizing the wolf was free to go. This wasn't the only instance of another department jumping the gun and trying to restrain a possible suspect. Every day a new report of such an event would come in. It was then that City hall took notice. The city accountants must have had a heart attack when they realized just how much money was being put into the operation.

Bogo was called into City Hall to explain himself. From what the officers who had gone with him had said it was a rather heated argument. The buffalo apologizing but refusing to give up on the search. Only after threats of removal from his position did Bogo finally relent. He didn't do it out of fear for his own job. No he never worried about that. He was more concerned for his officers and Trisha. If he was removed there was no telling who his replacement would be and how they would handle this series of events.

Though the ZPD had to reallocate resources didn't mean the search had been given up by others. Echo, owner of the 10-7, set up a kind of online tip website and even offered a reward for information on Trisha. Judy had gone to visit the 10-7 during a break in her search. She and Nick had also wanted to check in with Em. The otter and bunny being very close friends. When the officers arrived at the 10-7 they had been informed by a solemn Petey that Em had been sent home. The poor otter was completely devastated and had been found sobbing in the stock room by Echo. Em hadn't been sleeping, in fairness not many of them had, and it had shown as the predator began to break. Echo apparently had to force the otter to go home. A pair of firefighters calling it an early night so they could drive the distraught mammal home and make sure she was alright.

Stories like these were becoming more and more common as the bubbly bunny from the 10-7 remained missing. Judy couldn't get over the fact that even with so many resources being thrown into the search no one had seen anything. What few tips they received turned out to be nothing and of course the occasional hoax caused a hit to the already low morale.

Before Bogo pulled the plug on the search he called in a few of Trisha's closer friends in the ZPD to make the announcement. Judy felt her heart fall to the pit of her stomach as Bogo looked at the group, his eyes shimmering as the words he spoke weighed down the already low spirits.

Of course Bogo was smart and had a plan. He had been told to pull the search but that didn't mean the ZPD was out of the running yet.

"Hopps," the chief spoke with a sharp tone. Judy who had been looking at the floor as images of a pair of bright blue eyes flashed in her mind nearly jumped when she heard her name.

"I am putting your other operation on hold. You are to focus what efforts you can on finding her..." Bogo was hesitant to even speak Trisha's name in Judy's presence. A lot of mammals had been very delicate with how they worded things around Judy. Everyone was well aware of the twos close relationship and didn't want to say anything that may send Judy over the edge.

Judy had been strong during all of this though, mainly thanks to Nick. The fox having stepped up in a big way during all of this. It was just a few days before that he had tried to turn in his badge to Bogo. Now though the fox was so focused on his work Judy felt like she was falling behind. Every time a lead came up Nick was there to interview the mammal in question. Every time a false alarm was discovered, Nick would get the officers around him to focus on the task at paw. Of course he wasn't just showing his worth in uniform.

The night after Trisha's disappearance he had come home with Judy. The gray doe obviously not wanting to be alone. They had remained silent the whole night as Judy curled up into the fox's strong and loving arms, her silent weeping interrupted by the occasional sigh as the fox stroked the bunny's ears. He was so patient during all of this, even when Judy's emotions would bounce all over the place. One moment she would be crying the next she would growl with anger only to sob once more.

Not once did Nick let the bunny out of his arms. No matter how much she squirmed or occasionally clawed. He kept Judy close to him and showed her the affection she needed to keep control.

Judy would fall asleep after a while but when she woke she would find Nick was already awake. She had begun to grow concerned that he wasn't sleeping. She was right but she couldn't force the fox to rest. Not when he was so tireless in his search and invaluable in helping to locate Trisha.

The only problem was they were starting to exhaust what little leads they had to go on. None of Nick's old contacts knew anything about Jim and his plans. Some had even been surprised to learn that the rabbit was back. Many having believed he had perished in the explosion that took officer Tops' life.

With no other leads available Nick and Judy had to start treating this like a missing mammal case. Which meant going through whatever files were available on Trisha.

Nick and Judy found themselves spending more and more time inside the large conference room originally slated to be a kind of operation center for the new Night Howler case. Since the two cases were likely connected, it just made sense for them to continue working inside the large conference room. While Amanda and the others worked on the Night Howler events and tried to piece what they could together, Nick and Judy sat on the other end of the large table with a series of files and maps.

"What about a bar? Did you two ever go drinking?" Judy asked as she started to flip through her phone for bar locations. She found it amusing that the 10-7 didn't come up in the search but she had a suspicion that the owner did that on purpose. Didn't want the general public knowing exactly where a bar they weren't allowed into was.

"On occasion, but those places have either closed down or been bought out and have new owners," Nick mumbled as he reached for a large cup of coffee sitting on one side of the large map of the city. The fox took a large sip of the lukewarm coffee before putting the cup back down. Judy was worried the way Nick was consuming his coffee lately. She understood he needed to have some energy and the drink would help provide it, nothing compared to a good night's rest though.

She made a mental note to try a trick later that may wear the fox out to the point he would fall asleep. A few crude thoughts slowly slinked into her mind as she wondered just how much attention the fox may need before passing out. As her cheeks began to warm she realized she should be focusing on the task at paw and shook her head. Moving the heated thoughts to the back of her mind.

Nick was scratching his chin as he began to flip through a small vanilla folder. Which was somewhat hard for him since he was still weighed down by his cast. Something he constantly complained about. He had made an appointment to have it removed soon. For now though it was just a burden. The pages in the files were mostly blank but had some useful knowledge. A few of them being reports on the Night Howler attacks that had recently hit the city. One of the snipers for the tactical teams had taken time to study all the events and gave out detailed descriptions where he would have set up to take certain shots. A pattern had begun to form. So far all the shots had been made either at an extreme range or through what was being called a control accessed point. The longer range ones were normally assumed to be on top of a building somewhere within eyeshot of the target of course. The controlled accessed ones however were sometimes close and personal but with one catch. They could only be accessible through private means. As in the shooter would have to possess clearance or knowledge of the spot as it wasn't easily accessible to the public.

As Nick continued to flip through the files there was movement on the other end of the table. Amanda and McHorn both rose from their seats and gathered some of their belongings. Amanda strolled over with a worn smile. Nick wasn't the only one burning the midnight oil. Both Amanda and McHorn had been putting a lot of time and effort into the recent case. Wolford unfortunately had been taken off the case and sent back to patrol work. Mainly because the ZPD was so short pawed at the moment and any extra officers out in the field was desperately needed. The wolf however had ensured the team he would do everything he could to work on the case behind the scenes. Before leaving for patrol work he had even taken a moment to comfort Judy. The large wolf taking a knee and placing a friendly paw on the does shoulder as he promised to help find their friend. The sentiment was appreciated.

"We are off to grab some lunch," Amanda said softly. Normally she would have asked if Nick and Judy would like to join them but she knew better. Both the fox and the bunny would rather stay and work on the case. "What can I pick up for you two?"

Judy smiled at Amanda but before she could turn down the offer Amanda added, "You two have to eat, you can't find her if you both starve yourselves."

Judy took in a deep breath and looked over at Nick who rolled his eyes. Judy then turned back to Amanda and spoke without thinking, "Salad from Max's…."

Maybe it was the Night Howler in her body, maybe it was all the stress, or maybe it was because she was just an emotional bunny sometimes but she couldn't help but suddenly shudder as images of Atom laying on the floor of the cafe flashed in her mind. She began to breathe rapidly and it took Nick wrapping her in a tight hug and some reassuring words from Amanda to finally calm Judy down.

It had been touch and go for a short time but thanks to the quick work by his fellow officers Atom would pull through from his wounds. The painted dog showing a great deal of resilience during the whole ordeal. Delta had gone to visit his partner everyday only to be shooed away by Atom. The painted dog not wanting anytime to be wasted on him while Trisha was still missing. Judy and Nick had wanted to see Atom. Everyone at the ZPD did. The detector though refused to be seen. Judy had found out though from a source at the hospital that Atom may have had another motive.

The painted dog had been caught whining several times in his sleep when nurses checked on him. He would also constantly ask for updates about Trisha and the search. Delta admitted to Judy at one point that Atom started to sound like he blamed himself for all of this. It broke Judy's heart to hear this and she wanted to badly to go to Atom and comfort him. To tell him it was not his fault. Delta however had pleaded with Judy to wait until they brought Trisha home. The idea of Trisha being led into the hospital room where she could cuddle with Atom kept them going. They would save one friend while bringing hope to another.

It took a minute or two but Judy finally managed to calm down. Amanda took some orders for sandwiches from a local sub shop and headed out the door with McHorn. Judy apologizing constantly for her outburst. Amanda however simply smiled and reassured Judy had nothing to be sorry about. She had been there when Judy took the Night Howler hit and watched as the badass bunny tranqed herself in order to protect her fellow officers. Though her mental state was still in flux there was no doubting Judy was one tough bunny.

Nick and Judy were left alone for a bit. They didn't normally see much foot traffic lately in their office. Most officers were busy out on the street. Though city hall had ordered Bogo to return to normal operations that didn't stop officers from putting in a little extra time on patrol while searching for Trisha or any clues that could lead to her rescue.

It didn't take long for the bunny and fox to fall into a silence as they each read over different reports or looked at the large map before them from time to time.

There was a knock on the conference room door which caused Nick and Judy to look up from the map of the city they had been studying. A series of x marks were over a large part of the city. Standing on the other side of the glass door was a friendly looking kangaroo who was carrying a file box. Nick strolled over and opened the door and helped the ZPDs resident archivist into the room.

"Ramic, how ya been bud?" Nick asked in a friendly tone as he greeted his old friend.

Ramic was a smart officer and considered to be the brains of the ZPD. Which meant he could easily pick up on things. One such thing was Nick's tone which sounded distant and tired. Though Nick forced a smile on his muzzle it was obvious he was strained.

"Been better," Ramic admitted. "Lots of projects right now need my attention but I of course was more than happy to push them aside to help gather what information we have on Trisha."

Ramic had received a call from Nick earlier asking if the kangaroo could try and scrounge up what information he could on Trisha. It was a shot in the dark but there was a small hope that this could help the case.

"Hey Ramic," Judy said from her seat as she gave the other officer a warm smile.

"Judy," Ramic said with an equally warm greetings. "How ya holding up?"

Judy took in a deep breath as her smile faltered. It was enough for Ramic to know the bunny had been better. He decided to dispense with the pleasantries and get right to it. As he set down the large box he took a moment to adjust his glasses before prying the lid off.

Judy had been hoping for files upon files about her missing friend. Her ears were high in the air only to droop when she noticed only a few small folders were in the box. If she had to guess most of it was public knowledge sorts of things. Trisha's license, her transcripts from school, probably a file on her employment history. Not enough to paint a better picture of where she may be hidden away right now though.

"So have something odd to show you," Ramic muttered as he took out a stack of files from the box. A large band around them to keep them from mixing with other files. It actually did look like a chunk of information and Judy became a little hopeful, if not just curious.

"This right here is a normal file. We have tons of these when someone just so much as jay walks. We bring up case work, histories, and all that fun stuff. Everyone has a file." Ramic explained simply. He then reached in and retrieved another set of files. This banded set was far smaller than the first one. "This is Trisha's."

Judy tilted her head as she noticed just how small the file was. Nick took notice as well and reached over and began to undo the small band around the brown bunny's files.

"This is it?" Nick asked as he began to flip through pages.

Ramic nodded, "That's all we have on Trisha."

"Whose is the other file?" Judy asked as she eyed the other documents.

Ramic grinned evilly, "Officer Wilde's Civilian files."

Judy tried to leap at the other stack but Nick was faster as he scooped up the other folder and tossed it into the box before closing the lid. His eyes went to Ramic who had an amused look on his face.

"Sorry Nick, couldn't help it."

"I think we should focus on the case at paw," Nick grumbled as he placed Trisha's file on the table and began to explore Trisha's history.

"I'm going to save you the time Nick," Ramic explained as he reached over and shuffled through several pages. "This is where it is interesting."

The kangaroo tapped several pages and cleared his throat, "As you can see here we have a bit of a gap in her history along with some odd loan transfers."

Judy looked over the documents and began to see what Ramic was talking about. Trisha had had a few odd jobs in college as it appeared. Most likely to help pay for small odds and ends her student loans wouldn't cover. She had worked in a coffee shop on campus, book store, and had even applied for a student facility job. The college would give discounts to students who helped out on campus performing small tasks like cleaning or campus yard work. They would get paid a small amount as well but the wages were low. Trisha had been employed since she was old enough to work from the looks of it. Since she was 16 she had a series of small odd jobs. Judy grinned when she saw a carwash company listed. Wondering what the doe did there. Images of a soap covered Trisha in a bikini top bouncing around a series of wet cars was an amusing thought.

Judy refocused her attention however. Two years into college the jobs suddenly stopped. She remained unemployed the rest of her time in school. Judy looked over at the transcripts from the University Trisha went to and noticed the doe had high grades and an amazing GPA. This could explain the sudden stop in employment. Trisha may have wanted to focus on her schoolwork. Many mammals did this and depended on their student loans to keep them going. Trisha's bank history was in the file. Several lines had been highlighted by Ramic. Each of them a bit of a mystery. The first was the large loan Trisha had taken out. Followed by a small payment. Apparently some of Trisha's employment was to pay off her loans early. Comparing the dates however showed the red flag that Ramic had noticed.

Right in the middle of the two year job free gap the loan was completely paid off. Every last cent. Judy couldn't help but be impress. She knew how much the loans could cost and how many mammals right out of college had the monumental task of paying the banks off. Many graduates remaining in debt for years. Trisha however was debt free. The only problem was the amount of money needed to pay that off in one lump sum was massive. There was no way Trisha had saved up for all of that by doing odd jobs.

Right after the gap in jobs Trisha noticed the employment began right away at the 10-7. Trisha had been there ever since.

"So Ramic," Nick broke the silence as he stood up straight and looked down at all the documents before them. "Any ideas?"

The kangaroo nodded but shrugged at the same time. "Oh I have tons of ideas but without evidence they are just random thoughts. I thought she inherited something and didn't report it. I did some checking but I couldn't find anything that indicates that. There is also the possibility she claimed a reward but that would have been in our files. Or it could have been a gift but with an amount that large it would have to be filed with the IRS. To be honest this one is a bit of a mystery..."

Judy remained silent as she studied the files. Her heart skipped a beat when she came across Trisha's driver's license. Though the doe didn't own a car she had taken the time to learn how to drive one. The picture was several years old. Must have been from when Trisha was a teenager because there was a small streak of blue running down one of her ears. She had obviously dyed her fur. The one thing that was the same in the picture though was the broad smile as a pair of vibrant blue eyes looked straight ahead. Judy found herself missing Trisha even more now and reached out to gently place a paw on the missing bunny's picture.

"Judy…" Nick said softly.

Judy looked up and noticed both of her fellow officers were staring at her. She must have become lost in thought and hadn't heard them calling her name.

"Sorry, was a little lost…" Judy admitted.

"You got a text message," Nick said kindly as he gave Judy a loving smile. Judy let out a sigh as she felt her lips curl into a somewhat sad smile. She then looked over and noticed her phone's indicator light was flashing. She had received a text while lost in thought.

Judy was still getting used to her new phone, her last one having been stolen by Jim. Just like the one before that. There seemed to be a pattern with Jim and Judy's cellphones. He eventually returned them in some manner but they would be locked up as evidence so Judy was stuck getting new devices. She was glad she had gone with a premium replacement plan. The folks at the Carrot store, not so much.

Judy unlocked her screen and checked the message. Her heart went into overdrive when she saw the contact name: Jim

She hadn't programmed his name in there at all but here it was as if they were old friends. Judy panicked and fumbled with the phone as she started to read the text sent to her by Jim.

"Super excited, I am going to be on the radio! You should tune in: 103.4."

Judy felt herself trembling as she looked up from the phone.

"Nick…." She said, her voice shaking.

Seconds later both Nick and Judy were darting out of the conference room, leaving a confused and worried Ramic behind.

Nick barely managed to keep up with Judy as she dashed through the halls of the ZPD. Jumping over obstacles as her eyes darted from cubicles, to offices, and small outlets. Any place that may contain a radio of some kind. She had a sudden epiphany as she saw a sign indicating she was near a break room. There was always an old radio in there stored on top of a fridge, playing music from random stations. Of course it didn't see much use after the new flat screen TVs had been installed.

Judy made a sharp turn and caused a gazelle carrying a stack of files nearly lose their balance as they came around the blind turn. Judy wanted to take time to stop and apologize but time was a factor here. She realized just how fast her heart was racing and wondered why she felt this way. She hadn't been running very long and she was indoors in a climate controlled environment. She then understood, it was fear. Fear that she may miss a hint that could lead to Trisha's rescue. This spurred her on as she increased her speed. Looking like some kind of scared doe running from a predator. Which was somewhat accurate since Nick was trailing right behind her. The fox using all his strength to just keep up with Judy.

The doe burst into the break room in such a loud manner that the room fell silent as all eyes went to the bunny in blue. Judy ignored the stares however as her eyes went to the fridges. She spotted what she was looking for and thanked whoever was watching over her at that moment. There was a small chance that the radio had been thrown out or would not be there. Today however luck was with Judy and the radio sat on top of the fridge.

Judy used her muscles to jump up onto a counter that ran across one side of the wall. All the officers nearby suddenly taking a step back as they watched the odd scene. Judy hopped up onto a water cooler and then propelled herself to the top of the fridge. Her paws frantically checked the radio and she let out a sigh of relief as she found it was plugged in and receiving power. She turned a view of the old dials to the radio and it suddenly came to life. At first the speakers only emitted static but after fiddling with the dials she heard some classic rock begin to pour out into the room.

The only problem now was the fact the radio was old and the volume wasn't exactly what it used to be. Judy turned the volume control to the highest setting but it was enough to drown out the noise from the TV. It was at this time Judy noticed Nick had arrived, the fox wheezing beneath her as he put a paw against the fridge. She smirked slightly and felt her nose twitch.

"TOUCHDOWN!" Came an announcer from one of the flat screen TVs inside the breakroom. Judy glared at the TV and then the mammals nearby it. She wasn't mad at them personally. Just the fact they were in the proximity of the TV though made them guilty to its distractions. One of the officers nearby looked from Judy and then the TV, their eyes widening in realization. The wolf officer reached up and pressed a button on the side of the screen. The TV going dark. Judy looked over at the other TV as Tammy did the same. The cheetah apparently had been enjoying her break, a half-eaten sandwich in her large paws. Judy gave Tammy a look of thanks and received a raised half eaten sandwich in return.

None of the officers in the room knew exactly what was going on but they did know Judy. To see her act this way could only mean something important was happening. None of them wanted to risk interfering with the doe so they must have thought it best to just go along.

Now that the break room was relatively silent Judy focused her attention back on the radio and began to play with the dials. Tuning to the pop rock station that had been mentioned in the message she had just received. As she found the channel the radio hosts voice came out of the speakers for all to hear.

"Okay folks so looks like we have the winner for our Gazelle tickets. Lucky caller number 7 congratulations! You are going to see Gazelle live in concert this Friday!" The host announced eagerly.

Judy waited and continued to listen. Wondering when the clue would-

"Thanks Harvey!" Came Jim's voice, sounding somewhat distorted since he was calling the radio station via a cellphone. "I can't believe I won tickets to Gazelles final concert!"

There was a slight pause over the radio before the host returned. "Wait, final concert? I didn't…." The host's voice became muffled as he began to talk to someone while covering his mic. "Hey there bud I don't know where you are getting this info but it must be wrong. According to a schedule on Gazelles official site she has several more concerts coming up and hasn't announced-"

"Well I mean it's going to be a last minute final show," Jim chimed in happily as if what he was saying was perfectly ordinary.

"What….what do you mean?" The host asked nervously.

Every mammal in the break room took a quiet step forward, their breaths held as they listened to the somewhat odd radio broadcast.

"Simple," Jim said happily. "She's going to be killed live on stage!"

* * *

 **Special thanks to Cimar for letting me use his character Ramic.**

 **Ramic sure comes in handy, just like Cimar. Thanks as well for looking over the chapter. You too Fox!**

 **It takes a village to create this kind of madness.**

 **Speaking of which, hope you are all in for some crazy chapters coming soon!**

 **-Blue**


	48. Worst Concert Ever

-Worst concert ever-

Gazelle. The artist famous for the song _Try Everything_. A big proponent of mammal rights. And a generally nice mammal to know was also incredibly stubborn.

The day of the threat made by Jim, Gazelle's website stated that at this time they would be evaluating the safety of holding the concert due to recent events. The next day the famous pop singer was being interviewed about the whole ordeal and that's when she did it. Though her manager, publicity team, and many of her friends had pleaded with her to cancel the concert the celebrity made an announcement that changed everything.

"I will not give into fear. Never. Not because I am brave. Not because I am courageous. No, because I am inspired. I refuse to let one mammals petty threats ruin what will be a wonderful evening that my fans deserve. If I cancel now I tell this monster that they can hold me hostage by merely speaking angry words. Though this does change some things it does not change that the show will go on."

The studio audience burst into thunderous applause as Gazelle sat resolute next to the stunned show host. If she wasn't Zootopia favorite singer before she was now.

The only problem was she just made the target on her back a little bigger by doing this. Not that there was any doubt to those in the know that Jim would not follow through. The rabbit had an unfortunate streak of following through on his threats.

So it was up to the ZPD to save the day once again. Gazelle's manager advised they would be hiring private security as well but any help from the ZPD would be appreciated. Oddly enough Jim's threat over the radio had helped somewhat. Since the rabbit made a death threat live on the air City Hall had approved overtime for increased mammal power at the show. Normally the ZPD provided a presence at events like this to handle crowds, traffic, and the occasional fight. Now though they provided enough officers that it was if a dignitary was visiting the event. The shows venue was hardened during the construction. Teams were deployed to patrol the site during construction and the ZPD planned to keep officers on sight until the stage was completely disassembled a few days later.

One reporter made comments about how it looked more like a military operation than a concert. They were right. The ZPD tactical teams had a large armored truck on site at all times. A large command vehicle had been set up. The ZPD even had a small fleet of vehicles parked to the side of the concert venue to show an increased presence.

All of it was a form of visual deterrence to remind the city that the ZPD was there and would not sit by idly and let anything happen to Gazelle. Of course this just increased the pressure for the teams in charge of hunting down Jim. Amanda was exhausting all leads and even managed to pull special agents from her department to assist. McHorn had stopped showing up at the conference room, having volunteered to work onsite at the concert and keep in touch with Amanda. It made sense since Jim threatened the pop star's life that he would show up at some point. Might as well have a mammal who had been researching him standing by at the concert just in case.

Judy was torn at first. She wanted to stay focused on searching for Trisha but it was Nick who stepped in and convinced her otherwise.

Judy was sitting in the conference room that was covered in papers, files, and maps of the city. The gray doe rubbing her temple as she let the war rage in her mind. Bogo had requested that his star officer take a break from the search and focus on the concert. Since Judy and Nick had the most experience dealing with Jim they were the resident experts and would be invaluable during the show. The chief's thinking was sound. They would be the ones to notice Jim or any of his cohorts. The pair would also most likely recognize something out of the ordinary. That didn't mean Judy had to completely agree with her superior though. She was desperate to locate Trisha and though Jim was most likely the one who had the brown doe from the 10-7 that didn't exactly mean she would be at the concert. Jim had an annoying habit of starting in one spot of the city only to have the actual event occur somewhere else. Judy was sure he would try something like that again and soon.

"Drink," Nick said firmly as he swirled a cup of water in front of Judy, the fox having returned from the break room down the hall. The doe shook her head as she focused on her surroundings once more. Nick had apparently been standing beside Judy for a minute trying to get the distracted does attention for a bit.

Judy reached out and took the cup in her paws and sipped at the water. Letting the cool liquid calm her mind.

"So spoke to Bogo," Nick began to explain as he took a seat next to Judy and turned her chair so she was looking at him. Judy set the cup down on the table and sighed as she looked into her fox's eyes. The bright emerald had a slight tint of red. The poor predator still relying on coffee as a form of sleep substitute. Even in his tired state he had a handsomeness about him that Judy couldn't deny made it hard to control certain urges.

"And?" Judy asked hesitantly.

"We are going to the concert no matter what," Nick explained. "And you are just going to have to enjoy yourself," the fox added as he poked at his rabbits side. Judy let out a surprised gasp as she squirmed, a soft giggle coming from her lips.

"What about Trisha?" Judy asked, the mood returning to a rather serious one.

"If Jim has her he will probably try something at the concert," Nick explained what they were both thinking. "That is if he doesn't release her sooner..."

Judy felt her ears raise in curiosity as she tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Nick smirked before going into an explanation. "Well if I had Trisha hostage for this long I think right about now would be when I finally lost my sanity. I mean could you imagine trying to keep her contained for so long?" Nick was teasing to lighten the mood and fortunately it worked. Judy snorted at the thought of Trisha tied to a chair wiggling her body back and forth. Causing the chair to move on its legs. Not in an attempt to escape but just to make noise and entertain herself.

Another image of Trisha drawing pictures on the walls inside a van filled her mind. The brown bunny humming some annoying tune as Jim sat nearby covering his ears and wincing.

Trisha would be alright. She was Trisha after all. If anyone could handle themselves it was the ball of brown energy from the 10-7.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he texts us and begs us to come pick her up," Nick teased.

Judy began to hope such a thing would happen but she knew better. She did however have a renewed positivity about her thanks to Nick. The fox proving just how valuable he was to the bunny.

"So concert detail..." Judy said with a sigh as she sat back in her chair.

"Yeah, but not exactly the way you're thinking," Nick said with a smirk.

Judy's interest was suddenly perked. She had assumed that Nick and her would be sent to a command post or maybe be on crowd control.

"What's up?" Judy asked as she tilted her head. A familiar sly smirk crossing Nick's lips. "What did you do?"

"Just called an old friend," Nick said with a wink.

"You and your old friends tend to cause me a lot of trouble," Judy pointed out as she scooted a little closer to Nick on her chair. Her legs dangling over the edge.

"Hey now, I am sure Flash would be insulted!"

"That's not what I meant," Judy shot back, flailing her paws forward. She hadn't meant all of Nick's friends. This caused Judy to pause as she realized just how little she could honestly fault Nick. He had many friends across the city. Flash at the DMV who had helped them during their first case. Melvin who had in the end provided valuable information to this case. Finnick who had shown that under his stern exterior was a kind mammal. Trisha even was an old friend of Nick's. The fox and bunny having known each other for a while before Judy had gone to the 10-7 for the first time.

Jim had been the exception to it all. Judy started to see the world a little differently and felt a pang of regret after having been somewhat distant to her fox.

"So who is this friend?" Judy asked, focusing on the conversation once more.

"His name is Buster," Nick said casually, "Buster Moon"

"Buster Moon?" Judy asked as her eye lids drooped, hinting she needed more to go on.

"I knew him back when he was signing street performers. Use to give him a heads up when I noticed talent roaming the streets," Nick began to explain as he sat back in his chair and made himself comfortable. Judy listened intently, wanting to hear more about Nick's past. "Let's just say he finally found the one he was looking for. Managed to snag her early in her career and has been her manager ever since."

Judy put two and two together and her eyes widened in disbelief. "No….no Nick…don't tell me."

"You have to promise me Carrots that you won't get too star struck," Nick said as his smug expression grew.

"No way!" Judy began to shake, wanting for Nick to finally come out and say it.

"Because I wouldn't want you too distracted while we protect Buster's biggest star."

"Just say it already!" Judy thought as she began to lose it.

"Would be a shame to let down Gazelle."

The day of the concert finally came and there was a certain level or anxiousness in the air. The reason was obvious but no one wanted to admit it. The ZPD had not gotten any closer to locating Jim so the rabbit was free to try and commit whatever acts he had planned at the coming concert. It was now up to the ZPD to prepare for whatever the villain in question had up his sleeves.

Judy and Nick had arrived at work a little early to try and get some extra time in to search for more clues to Trisha's whereabouts. Unfortunately they had been caught by Bogo in the lobby who decided that since the two officers were early then they could go get ready for the nights detail that much sooner. The couple were ordered to report to the armory for equipment. At first this seemed like an odd request since they had been told they wouldn't be in full uniform. With Nick's arm still in a cast and Judy not fully recovered from her own ordeals neither of them were to be in uniform. Mainly because they weren't back at 100% strength and Bogo didn't want them to get confused as fully active officers.

They had been ordered to dress down in something comfortable but still look professional. Nick had surprised Judy with how well he could clean up. Nick was currently staying with Judy at her place and had his old pal Finnick pick him up so the two could go gather some clothing from Nick's apartment. When he had returned he looked like a completely different fox. He had gone with a black jacket that matched the pair of slacks he wore. Instead of his pawaiian shirt he wore a green button up shirt that matched his eyes rather well. Judy had to resist some heated urges when she saw her fox all dressed up for their big event.

Judy had also taken some time to look a little more professional. The doe had selected a pair of black pants and a light blue blouse which was covered by a black jacket. A pair of blue foot wraps protecting her feet. Nick of course couldn't resist making a few comments about how the doe could never seem to stop wearing the ZPD colors.

The pair actually looked rather nice together and Judy realized they never had the chance to dress up and just go out on a nice date recently. Though they had now been dating a little while they had been constantly been having to deal with the madness that was being caused by a certain rabbit. Judy hoped that when this was all done she would get a chance to enjoy some quality time with her fox.

Their relationship had been strained for the past couple of days but Judy had finally come to terms with Nick and his past. The couple had shared a rather heated moment recently. After a rather long work day Judy had driven Nick back to her and Trisha's apartment. They parked in the small parking area behind the building and Judy had taken a moment to just close her eyes and take a deep breath. There had been a lot of that going on lately. Nick of course offered what little comfort he could and rested a paw on Judy's shoulder. The doe opening her eyes to take in her fox. She couldn't explain what came over her but she had the sudden need to be with him. Not in a crazy hotel way though. She unbuckled her seat belt and had climbed over to the fox. Nick having a look of both surprise but want on his face. Their lips met before either of them could say a word. They remained that way for a while, sharing a passionate kiss in the parking lot till the sun went down.

Though things were still somewhat chaotic in the city at least Nick and Judy had managed to pull through. The big question was would they pull through whatever Jim had planned for them that evening.

Nick and Judy entered the armory to retrieve their equipment and were surprised to see just how busy things seemed in the small room. The armory was separated into two parts. The first part was a kind of large lobby area with tables and a few chairs spread out. This was the room that most officers got their gear squared away and set. The other part of the armory was where all the weapons, equipment, ammo, and other such items were stored and secured. A large open window was in the center of the room and separated everyone from the small arsenal. A heavy looking door sat just beside the window and allowed the armory master and techs to move from one section to another to assist officers with setting up their equipment.

There was actually a small cue that had formed in the waiting area and Nick and Judy took their spot at one end of the line.

"Told you we should have called ahead for reservations, this place always gets busy around dinner time," Nick teased. Acting as if the couple had shown up at a fancy restaurant.

"Well if someone hadn't taken so long with their fur," Judy shot back. The small doe looking up at the brilliant emerald eyes of her partner.

Nick scoffed at the comment as he ran his good paw over his head, "it takes time to look this good."

"You needed more time," Judy grumbled. The doe then gasped in surprised as an arm looped around her waist and held her close. She let out a giggle as she squirmed slightly.

"Well well well, look what trouble has found its way back to my armory!" came a gruff and familiar voice.

Judy beamed at a wolf who came limping over. Ty was the mammal in charge of the ZPD's armory. The wolf having served on the ZPD tactical unit many years ago. He had unfortunately been wounded in the same blast that took officer Top's life and had never properly healed. Instead of accepting forced retirement however the wolf remained with the ZPD to make sure their armory was properly stocked and maintained.

"You certainly know how to cause trouble Hopps," The gray furred wolf said with a wink, "which is why I like ya so much."

Judy blushed and the urge to give the old wolf a hug was restrained for now. Judy remembered just how kind Ty had been to her throughout her time at the ZPD. The wolf having taken time to make her a special kind of tactical vest. A vest she managed to destroy in just a matter of days. Of course Ty always came prepared and had made a spare just in case.

"Hey Ty," Judy said happily as she took a step out of the line and beamed at the wolf.

"Wilde," Ty said with a nod towards Nick who returned the friendly nod. The wolf's eyes went to the fox's arm and he chuckled. "Geeze, what did you do to him Hopps?"

Judy blushed as she looked back at her partner and then to Ty. "Remember that little crash..?"

"You mean the one that ruined the vest I worked so hard on?" Ty pointed out. Judy would have felt bad if it wasn't for the large smug grin on the larger canines face.

"Just had to test your work Ty," Judy said playfully which earned a laugh from the armory master.

"Sir?" A wolf with black fur piped up from behind Ty. The older wolf turned around and looked down at the table the other canine was standing at.

"Close, but let me show you a better way" Ty mumbled as he hobbled over. The wolf began to mess with what looked like a rather nasty looking rifle. Judy felt slightly uneasy seeing the weapon. It meant the ZPD was preparing for some serious trouble tonight.

Ty helped the younger wolf and gave him a pat on the back, "Remember to check that scope from time to time. The slightest bump can throw ya off."

"Yes sir," The other canine responded and slung the weapon over his shoulder and strolled out of the armory.

Ty took in a deep breath and then returned to Nick and Judy, "sorry we are a little backed up. That darn concert is tying up a lot of our equipment. I was told to have some gear ready for you, let me go retrieve it, wait for me over at one of the tables and I will be right out."

Before Judy or Nick could even ask what equipment they would be using the wolf hobbled away towards the heavy door near the armory window.

"Matt I'm coming in," Ty barked. There was a buzzing noise and the wolf swung the large steel door open and headed into the actual armory.

Though Judy felt a little bad to be cutting in line when it came to retrieving equipment Nick seemed perfectly fine with it. The fox strolling over to one of the many tables that sat against the walls. The other officers in line didn't seem to pay much mind to them. Occasionally they received a friendly comment or a little joke at Nick's expense.

"Don't know Judy, even with him cleaned up you can do better..." Was on playful comment.

"Look good Hopps! Wilde…you're okay I guess," Was another.

"You are just jealous you can't pull off the handsome wounded tod look like I can," Nick said as he dusted off his cast and gave a wink to the line of officers. This was met by a few laughs and shaking of heads. Judy simply rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

The other officers soon returned to their own tasks. Some talking amongst themselves. Others with their noses in their cellphones. A hippo at the front of the line casually chatting with Matt, the otter armory tech, as he fiddled with a radio.

"About time we got pulled off that stupid bunny chase," Came one voice from the table next to Nick and Judy's. The gray doe's ears twitching as the turned to listen in on the conversation she had just overheard.

"Right, what the hell was the chief thinking putting in those resources to find some brown bimbo," came another voice.

Judy felt her eye twitch as she realized what she was hearing.

"Didn't take the chief as a cotton chaser. The bunny must have flicked her tail at everyone in the ZPD by now. Wouldn't be surprised if she had slept with half the force already."

"I wouldn't mind showing her what a real mammal was like. You seen that smile of hers. The way her mouth is always open. Probably from all the cock she has had stuffed down her throat."

"Wouldn't mind stuffing something into her-"

The conversation was cut off by a low growl. The two officers currently deep in conversation stopped and turned to look at the source. Judy had to turn as well and was shocked to see Nick glaring at his fellow officers. His fangs bared.

"Fucks wrong with you Wilde?" One of the officers, an annoyed looking cheetah, asked.

Judy watched in both fear and admiration as her fox looked at the two officers with fire in his eyes. Though he must have been half the cheetah and warthogs size he still had an intimidating air about him that caused the other two to recoil slightly.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that," Nick growled as he took a step forward. Judy had to step in between Nick and the offending officers. Though she was half tempted to put them in their place herself.

"Talk about who?" The warthog grinned. Realizing he had struck a nerve but deciding to pursue the idea. "That bimbo from the bar? Don't tell me you actually think she is worth all this? Bunnies like her are a dime a dozen. She does nothing but flirt and bat her eye lashes at any mammal who gives her the time of day."

Spurred on by his partner the cheetah joined in as he took a step forward, "Don't get us wrong Hopps. We love you. You have done so much for the force. Trisha though is nothing but some kind of sex fiend who just wants to lay with whatever mammal she can-"

The cheetah never finished. He wanted to obviously but was stopped as a strong paw grabbed the back of his collar and suddenly tossed the feline across the room. The other officers in the room watched in shock and dove for cover. Normally the officers would step in and stop this kind of behavior. Maybe separating the two fighters. No one wanted to go against Ty though. The wolf growled and flexed his muscles. The limp he was famous for was now absent as the adrenaline flowed through his system.

"What the fuck?!" the warthog bellowed. "What's wrong with you?!"

Ty turned and stared the warthog down. Though the warthog was built like a small tank and could probably take the wounded wolf he didn't dare budge. Ty however showed he was willing to go to war as he snapped at the other officer. "Say another word about her! I dare you!"

Judy didn't know whether to try and calm Ty down or egg him on. This was a side of the predator very few had ever seen and would hopefully never see again.

"Has this whole place gone mad? She is just some stupid bunny!"

"How dare you!" Ty barked. "You have no idea what she has done for me and for others!"

"Enlighten us," The cheetah who was now gaining his footing from the toss growled as he stood up. "So I can explain to Bogo the reason I put his armor dog in the hospital."

It was at this point a few of the officers tried to intervene but Ty held up a firm paw which signaled he didn't want any interference. Whether it was out of fear or respect everyone froze and watched the scene play out. The wolf pointed down at his leg, the one he always avoided putting pressure on.

"You all see the limp?" He asked with anger. There were several nods from the officers. "She didn't. She doesn't care that I am no longer the officer I was. She just cares that I am happy with myself. You know how many times I am reminded that I can no longer do what I trained my whole life to do? Every goddamn day!"

Judy felt her heart sink. She had never really thought of things this way. Ty apparently had been a great officer out in the field and when he joined the tactical unit it must have been a dream come true. That was all taken away from him thanks to Jim.

"I used to think I was nothing. Just sitting back and watching all of you go out and make the world a better place. Trisha though reminded me what I am. She doesn't see a limp. She doesn't see some retired stubborn wolf. She sees something I didn't think was still there. Every time I see her she reminds me who I am and how she is there to support me."

"What by sleeping with you?" The warthog asked.

If looks could kill the warthog would have died on the spot as Ty turned to give the mammal a glare that could probably burn through steel.

"All she does is flirt." The warthog continued, trying to stand tall but the wavering in his voice gave him away.

"You don't have many women in your life do you Officer Brown?" Ty asked, the insult obviously doing its work on the surprised looking warthog. "She does that to lighten the mood. If you honestly think that every lady that treats you nicely wants to bed you then you have something psychologically wrong with you."

"Fuck you," The warthog barked.

"Why? Because no lady will have you?"

The warthog clenched his fist and a smug look that could rival Nick's came across Ty's face.

"That's why isn't it?" The old wolf chuckled. "She turned you down!"

"I…fu…shut up you-"

Ty cut the warthog off as he began to bellow with laughter. "Is this why? Is it some kind of pride thing? Calling her out because you can't have someone like her?"

"He is calling her out because she is as about as interesting as a-" The cheetah began but froze when Ty turned his attention to the feline.

"You know what really makes me angry..." Ty growled, the smug look disappearing as he found a new target. "The fact you all so easily forget the sacrifice one of our officers made for that bunny."

Judy felt a shiver go down her spine as images of Atom laying on the floor popped into her mind. The wounded canine begging Delta to bring back Trisha. The reports of how Atom cried at night and blamed himself for the bunny's mammal napping.

"The idiot got what's coming to him if he wanted to lay down his life for such a sl-" The warthog began to shout from behind Ty. The wolf however showed just how much fight he had left in him. In one fluid motion he spun around and extended his good leg so it hooked under the warthog. The sturdy officer was caught off guard and fell to the ground only to have Ty land on top of him. The wolf pressing his knee into the warthog's neck to ensure the strong mammal focused on breathing rather than escaping.

"You ever say anything about Atom besides being brave or honorable again..." Ty growled as he leaned close. "And I swear to you…they won't even find one of your tusks."

At this point the other officers wanted to step in but no one wanted to get involved with the scuffle. Except for the cheetah. The feline charging towards Ty who was currently distracted. There was a muffled boom and the cheetah suddenly went spinning through the air before landing across the room, a small bean bag landing next to him. All eyes slowly turned to Matt who slowly set down a riot control gun designed to shoot bean bags at high speeds. Without missing a beat the otter went back to tinkering with the radio he had been working on. Ty had a look of shock and admiration for his friend. The otter tried his best to play things off like nothing had happened but looked up from the radio to give his boss a quick wink.

Ty cleared his throat, still applying pressure to the warthog. For an old and wounded wolf Ty showed he could still put up quiet the fight.

"Anyone else got a problem with Trisha?" Ty growled as he looked around.

Judy turned to look at Nick as the fox cleared his throat. Everyone looked at the vulpine with concern, all of them worried what the fox might say that could anger the wolf.

"She keeps putting Judy's drinks on my bar tab. What am I made of money? You know how much this doe drinks?" Nick said as he pointed at Judy. Everyone rolled their eyes at the fox's comments. Nick however continued, "Also I think she has been taking my stuff and hiding it places. There is no way my TV remote ended up on top of the fridge on its own. Plus I think she may be a ring leader for an underground Bunny Fight club."

There was a few shushes from the other officers and a comment about not talking about Bunny Fight Club.

Ty rolled his eyes as he slowly stood up and held out a paw to an angry warthog still on the floor.

"Sorry son, but when I see a problem that needs correcting I correct it," Ty said in a kind but firm manner to Officer Brown. The officer took the extended paw and was helped up onto his feet. Another officer across the room helped a still dazed cheetah up. The feline having taken the bean bag to the side of the head which would cause one hell of a headache later.

"All that for a bunny…" Officer Brown grumbled. Pride broken and neck sore the warthog was beaten but not completely done apparently.

"Yes, all that for a bunny. A bunny that everyone cares about. A bunny that is sweet, kind, caring, bubbly, and a few annoying things that I sure officer Wilde could vouch for." Ty explained. "But she is not what you think she is. She is not the type to just sleep with whoever. She is not the type to destroy relationships. And she is definitely not just some sex crazed fiend. When you see through all that and understand what she really is maybe you will appreciate her more and maybe…just maybe she will forgive you when she finds out what happened here."

The warthog's eyes went wide at the last part.

"It's Trisha…she knows everything that happens here," Ty explained with a gruff chuckle. "Officer Plank," Ty began as he looked at a hippo who had just finished up with Matt at the window. The hippo stood up a little straighter as he strolled over to Ty. "Why don't you take Officer Othar there to first aid up on the 3rd floor and have him checked out. Those damn bean bag guns seem to misfire all the time. Gotta check that last one out."

"If you think you are getting away with this," Officer Brown growled as he watched the hippo help lift up the still dazed cheetah and carry him towards the armory exit.

"You really want me fired?" Ty asked with a chuckle, "You want the wolf who spends all his time assembling weapons, armor, and other dangerous devices to no longer have to follow ZPD policy when it comes to rules of engagement?"

The warthog growled at the veiled threat and stormed from the armory. Ty took a moment to dust himself off before turning to smile at Nick and Judy.

"Sorry about- oh damn it!" The wolf cried out as Judy ran forward and wrapped her arms around the surprised wolf's waist.

"Yeah, she is a hugger," Nick chuckled as he watched Judy give her thanks to the old armory wolf.

"I thought I already filled my quota," Ty groaned.

"Shut up Ty," Judy mumbled from the canine's waist. To her pleasant surprise she felt a strong paw pat her on the head. With friends like Ty and Nick it would be only a matter of time before they found Trisha again. Judy made a mental note to tell Trisha what Ty had done for the brown doe. The thought of the old wolf hobbling away as Trisha chased him, her arms outstretched, demanding a hug.

"Alright, enough lovey dovey crap," Ty grumbled, "Let's get you two geared up."

After getting geared up with some vests that would be worn under their jackets and a set of modified concealed tranq pistols Nick and Judy were armed and ready for whatever craziness Jim planned to throw their way. Ty had outdone himself with the new vests but warned the pair that they would only repel light arms fire. If something heavy was thrown their way it would probably be best to duck. Nick couldn't help but make a comment on how he planned to just not get shot that night. Ty agreed it was a good plan and asked Nick to tell him how it all worked out the next time they had a free moment to chat.

After getting geared up Nick and Judy were ordered to head straight to the concert for a briefing which would take place onsite. This was no problem up until they got down to the motor pool where an annoyed looking zebra in charge of the fleet of ZPD vehicles was waiting. Judy had hoped to get out of the garage before anyone could make a comment. She almost made it out if it hadn't been for her stupid fox partner.

"Hey so if we wreck 2 more of these do we get a free one or something?" Nick asked a small group of mechanics as they strolled by. One of the Thompson gazelles burst out laughing which made Nick start to open his mouth once more. Judy however gave him a look that just dared the fox to try it. Nick being the smart mammal that he was decided it was best to just go with the one joke for now.

Once at the concert venue Judy and Nick had a bit of a hard time finding a parking spot. Though they were in a marked vehicle and the ZPD had acquired a lot of space for the units onsite parking was at a premium. Since there were so many units on scene there were also a fleet of vehicles taking up parking. Judy found a spot eventually and parked in between a large tactical SUV and another squad car. Nick making a comment about next time just going for valet. Judy rolling her eyes but giving her fox a smile. For some odd reason the vulpine was really throwing them out there in mass tonight. Judy had a feeling the lack of sleep may have something to do with it. She hoped that after tonight Nick would manage to actually get a full night's sleep. She kept telling herself once they rescued Trisha that Nick would be back to his normal self, whether that was a good thing however was still up for debate.

The rest of the night felt odd to Judy. She and Nick reported to the mobile command center where several dispatchers and officers were busy handling the coordination of all the different officers on site. Judy recognized a few of the dispatchers who gave Judy and Nick some warm greetings and welcome back. Judy and Nick had only recently returned to work and apparently had been missed. Judy beamed when she noticed Tammy on one end of the command center. The cheetah took notice of Judy and hurried over, greeting her friend with a warm hug which Judy happily returned. Nick received a paw on the arm and a gentle squeeze as Tammy eye her friends.

"So…what are we expecting?" Tammy asked but was met by shrugs from the other two officers. Tammy had been hoping to get some dirt on the operation from Judy and Nick but sadly they were in the dark as much as Tammy was. The cheetah shrugged and admitted it had been a shot in the dark. She was of course just happy to see Nick and Judy back to work.

Tammy had been on site for the past two days and turned out to be incredibly helpful. She showed the couple how everything was set up. Gave them a rundown on the venue and kept them in the loop as to who was running what. She led them over to a coordinator who hooked them up with some radio that were tuned to the event frequency. Judy had trouble with her at first since it turned out to be a size too big. Tammy however saved the day, having been in scene long enough she knew where the spare equipment was being kept and managed to find a small compact radio which was just the right size for the bunny. Judy put an earpiece in one of her ears and keyed the mic, she heard a soft chirp which indicated she was not only transmitting but receiving transmissions.

"So I have you two listed as special detail," the coordinator began to explain, the hyena looking a little confused as she flipped through several pages on her clipboard. "I don't see where that detail is though..."

"VIP detail," Nick said simply as he looked over at Judy and gave her a sly wink. Tammy let out a sudden gasp followed by an eager squeal.

"No!" The cheetah exclaimed.

"Yes," Nick said calmly.

"Yes?" Tammy asked as she looked down at Judy.

The gray doe grinned and nodded, "yes!"

"How!? I have been here for two days hoping to snag that detail!" Tammy groaned.

"Called in a favor," Nick said as he began to stroll away, the amount of smugness currently emanating from the fox was almost too much for Judy to bare.

Tammy was speechless as she watched Nick saunter off as if he owned the place. He did however pause for a moment and give Tammy a friendly smile. "You want to meet her?"

Tammy nearly exploded at the suggestion and looked around as if seeking some unknown mammal's permission.

"My kitty is gonna flip!" She exclaimed as she hurried after Nick, doing her best to straighten her badge while running a paw through the fur on her head.

Judy thought it was somewhat adorable but soon found herself hurrying after Nick, she too eagerly straightening her outfit and making herself presentable. Hoping to look presentable for her idle. She watched as Nick and Tammy turned a corner and hurried to catch up. As the bunny came around the bend she spotted Nick and Tammy speaking to a rather charismatic looking koala in a navy blue suit and bow tie. The mammal was eagerly shaking Nick's paw as he beamed at the fox.

"Can't tell you how much it means to have you all here," the koala exclaimed. He then looked over at Judy and smirked. Nick grinned as he nodded for Judy to come over and say hello.

As Judy approached the koala took a moment to straighten his bow tie and held out his paw to Judy.

"Buster this is my partner officer Judy Hopps," Nick announced proudly.

"An absolute pleasure officer Hopps! I have heard a lot about you and it means so much knowing one of the ZPDs finest is here looking after G." Buster had a friendly demeanor about him. Judy wasn't too surprised by this, Nick after all had said a few good things about Buster in the drive over.

"Happy to help sir," Judy said professionally as she gave the koala a smile.

"Sir? No no no, my father was sir, call me Buster!"

"Judy," The gray doe said kindly.

"Tammy!" Came an anxious voice. Everyone looked over and saw a female wolf holding a phone to her ear and pointed at Tammy.

"Oh come on!" Tammy groaned as she looked at the wolf and then to Nick.

"I'll be back later! Don't let her leave without me getting a chance to drool over her and completely embarrass myself!" with that Tammy jogged over to the waiting wolf and returned to her duties. Buster chuckled at the whole thing and returned his attention to Judy.

"Watch it!" Came a startled voice. Judy looked in the direction of the commotion and watched as Tammy darted to one side of a large cart being pushed by a rhino in all black.

"Sorry, sorry," Tammy exclaimed as she raised a paw. The cheetah apparently hadn't been paying much attention and had gotten into the path of some large speakers being pushed along by the show technician.

"No harm…sorry I just need to get these in place or the upper audio will be coming in low," The tech explained as he waved a large hoove at Tammy. The officer and tech parted ways, both seeming a little annoyed at the other.

"Is the show still being set up?" Judy asked as she watched the rhino hurry the large equipment by.

Buster gave Judy a weak smile. "Well…this happens from time to time. Equipment fails during sound checks and needs replacing."

"Would have had it all done too if the ZPD hadn't…" The tech began to grumble as he passed by.

Buster waved his paws about and got Judy's attention, "We are grateful for the ZPD's involvement and assistance. But I would be lying if I didn't say it has put a strain on the shows preparation."

"How so?" Judy asked as she tilted her head. She tried her best to keep her tone neutral but she still came off as rather defensive.

"Let's just say that we would have already had all the checks done and equipment replaced if we didn't have to well…follow certain processes the ZPD has added," Buster explained hesitantly.

Judy nodded and was about to speak but decided it would be best to just let things be for now. She had all the checks and precautions were justified but she also understood that the rest of the mammals there had a show to put on and the paranoia brought in by the ZPD probably didn't nothing if not hamper the shows preparations.

"What does Gazelle have to say about this?" Judy asked, curious as to what the star of the event would have to say about all this.

Buster grinned, "She is actually very grateful for all the support and has been very patient. Even when she was told to cancel one of the rehearsals mid song."

"Really?" Judy asked, this time feeling especially bad at the thought of her idol getting bossed around by some power tripping officer.

"She has been looking forward to meeting you though," Buster explained with a smile.

This was almost too much for Judy. She had to contain her sudden excitement at the thought of Gazelle looking forward to meeting her.

She turned to look at Nick but found herself looking at an empty spot where the fox had just been. Buster chuckled as he noticed the confused look on the does face.

"Glad to see things haven't changed," Buster mused as he let go of Judy's paw. "I am willing to bet he is off to give a certain someone a hard time. Her dressing room is down the hall on the left."

Judy excused herself and tried her best to keep a steady pace but soon found herself power skipping through the backstage area. Eagerly looking for her fox and the popstar she couldn't wait to meet face to face.

Judy's ears picked up a familiar voice and she felt her heart begin to beat rapidly. It was Gazelle. She would recognize that beautiful voice anywhere.

Judy peaked around the corner and had to out a paw to her mouth in order to stifle the surprised gasp. They had been given strict orders not to get star struck. Not to become distracted. Yet there Nick was standing right before Gazelle who was sitting on a large equipment box for the show. The pop star had her legs crossed as she made herself comfortable. There was something odd about the whole situation though. She was smiling at Nick but looking at the fox's cellphone currently in the officer's paws.

She smiled at the cellphone as she continued to speak in that angelic voice that caused so many to fall head over heels for her.

"So like I said sweetie you get well soon and then you and me will have a wonderful time getting some ice cream, my treat. Get well soon Atom, I love you!" The star finished the message of with a lovely smile and a wink.

Judy smiled as she came around the corner and approached Nick. The fox lowering his cellphone and smirking.

"Thanks again Gazelle," Nick began as he held out his paw like he was greeting an old friend. Surprisingly the pop star took the paw and shook enthusiastically.

"No problem at all Nick, you promise to send me his information so I can send him a little something while he is in the hospital?"

Judy couldn't believe it. She always liked to think that her pop idol was a nice and kind mammal and here was the proof.

"I'll text you the info later," Nick nodded as his tail swayed slightly. "Yes Carrots, I have her cell number and no you can't have it."

Judy froze and felt her ears raise up. Her fox turned his head to look over his shoulder, a smug smirk on his lips.

"You are losing your touch, I picked you up before you even came around the corner."

Judy couldn't help but give her partner a playful pout as she slowly strolled forward.

"Gazelle I want you to meet my partner, in more ways than one, Judy Hop-ow!" The fox winced before finishing Judy's name. The small gray doe slugging him in the arm for the suggestive comment in front of her idol.

It was roughly an hour before the concert began but time turned it into just a few seconds. Judy loved every bit of it though. Nick and Gazelle knew each other from before Gazelle had gotten her big break. The spoke to one another like old friends. At one point Judy began to wonder who in the city the fox didn't know.

She was half tempted to ask Gazelle for any stories on her fox. Having learned in the past that before she had come into Nick's life he had managed to get into all sorts of fun stories.

As the two old friends caught up Judy scanned the hallway from time to time. Remembering the exact reason as to why they were all there. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to pop up however. This only worried Judy even more. Every time she checked her phone for the time she realized they were getting closer and closer to when Jim planned to attack. What gave Judy confidence however was Gazelle.

The popstar was about to go live on stage in front of thousands of screaming fans and sing. Something Judy couldn't even begin to imagine trying to do. Sure she could stand in front of a crowd or give speeches to a small audience. This however was a completely different monster. A monster that was also armed and dangerous thanks to Jim.

Gazelle not only had to perform but also perform knowing that someone out there planned to have her killed on the very stage she was about to go on. If she was nervous she never showed it.

Instead Gazelle acted like a completely normal mammal. Asking Nick what he had been up to. Questioning Judy about how she could put up with the fox as a partner. The popstar nearly jumped in surprise when she heard that Nick and Judy were dating. One would have thought this was as big as the moon landing the way Gazelle suddenly badgered Nick for stories about their first date, where they met, if they had met one another's parents yet.

It was at this point Judy stepped in. The fox suddenly becoming somewhat flustered by all the questions about his love life.

Gazelle ate up all the answers she was given and acted like a school kit listening to their classmate's stories from home coming.

At one point Judy made a comment about their "first date". Which had ended with them remaining just friends. Gazelle gave Nick a slug on the arm which caught both officers off guard.

"What was that for G?" Nick asked as he rubbed the wound.

"Look at her!" Gazelle demanded as she hopped from her seat and strolled over to Judy who stood very still. "She is perfect! She is strong, brave, and beautiful!" Gazelle then reached over and flicked one of Nick's ears. "And you were so stupid to say no?! Nick!"

"Hey now!" Nick said as he rubbed his ear.

Judy began to giggle at the scene and looked up in time to see Gazelle give her a playful wink. Judy had to contain her excitement. Not only had she just been complimented by the celebrity but now Gazelle was giving Nick a hard time for all the waiting he had made Judy go through.

"He didn't even give me a kiss till I was strapped next to a bomb!" Judy piped up, grinning evilly as Nick gave her a look that was obviously meant to keep her quiet, and it didn't work.

"It takes that to get a kiss from Nick?" Gazelle teased. "How is it Nick that the only time I see you is when I have my life threatened and you only kiss Judy when she is strapped to a bomb?" The singer teased as she put her hooves on Judy's shoulders and gave them a squeeze. Judy was on cloud 9 at this point. Here she was getting a chance to give her fox a hard time with the help of her favorite singer. Judy hoped this moment would never end but sadly they all had a job to do.

Gazelle had to excuse herself to make last minute preparations for the show. She was led away by a show tech and a personal assistant but nodded to Nick and Judy to follow. In fairness it was their job to keep an eye on Gazelle so following her was just part of the job.

Judy took a moment to check her phone which she had been neglecting for a bit. She chuckled at all the messages from Tammy complaining about how she had been dragged away for some stupid stuff and missed her chance to hit on Gazelle.

"You mean meet gazelle?" Judy teased via text.

"I know what I said Hopps! Lylah has given me a celebrity hall pass for her!"

Judy blushed at the rather brash message.

"You and Lylah?"

"Oh crap…" came another text "don't tell anyone! Especially Nick!"

"Too late," Nick chuckled as he read the message over Judy's shoulder and gave his bunny a wink.

By the time everything was ready for the concert to start a large crowd had filled the auditorium of the venue. There was a roar of cheers and applause as the lights began to find. Judy and Nick were set up on one side of the stage behind a large curtain. They had a perfect view of the side of the stage. There was a commotion behind Judy and she turned to see a sight she would remember for the rest of her days.

Gazelle strolled confidently down the backstage hallway. Flanked on either side by her tiger backup dancers. All of whom were looking rather good to Judy. She bit her lip as she watched the large predators stroll by. Her eyes went to Nick and she blushed as the fox gave her a knowing look.

"Just remember who you are going home with at the end of the night," Nick whispered before nibbling at the base of Judy's ear. Judy jumped in surprise and tried to scurry away but was wrapped up in her Fox's arms. She quit squirming and let the warm feelings take her. The moment came to an end though as the audience broke out in roars and applause as Gazelle took the stage.

The concert began, the only question was how it would finish.

Judy couldn't help but feel a little giddy as a familiar tune began to boom from the towering speakers all around the concert venue. A broad grin crossed her face as her eyes lit up with excitement. Of course she had to remind herself she was still on duty and tried her best to stay focus. Gazelle was famous for performing on normally circular stages so she could see her fans where ever she looked. Tonight however the stage was a half Moon that jutted out into the audience. The popstar didn't seem to mind as she started to sway her hips to the beat and stood at the edge of the center stage, looking out to a sea of fans. Her back up dancers splitting up so there were two of them in either side. Judy couldn't help but notice that the dancers, though moving so gracefully, had a different look on them than she remembered. Their eyes seemed to scan the crowd with determination. Judy realized they must be concerned for their friend and we're looking for any possible threats to the popstar. This actually calmed Judy slightly knowing that there were four muscled tigers standing nearby Gazelle at all times while she was on stage. It was like having a squad of dancing body guards on site.

Judy let the music take her as she watched Gazelle serenade the audience with her singing. She let out a surprised gasp as she felt a strong arm loop around her waist. Judy recognized the familiar scent of her fox and leaned against the predator who held the bunny close.

Judy closed her eyes and just let the sounds of her favorite singer and the warmth of her favorite fox envelope her in blissful feelings.

The bunny began to sway to the sounds of the music as Nick held her close. She smirked as she felt her fox begin to move along with her. Though he constantly tried to play off not being a fan of Gazelles music Judy could tell he was enjoying this moment right now.

The moment however was just that. Soon the harsh reality of why Nick and Judy were there in the first place came crashing through the dream Judy was enjoying. As the song began to reach its finale several confetti canons at the edge of the stage went off. Originally they would be filled with a form of glittering paper that would float over the audience. The canons however had been rotated somehow without anyone noticing they were now aimed at the stage and had covered the four tiger dancers on either side of gazelle with a purple liquid.

Judy's eyes shot open as she heard the blasts and she looked ahead in horror. The four tiger she had thought of as protectors to gazelle were convulsing on stage as screams filled the audience.

"Chief we have Nighthowler exposure! Four on the stage and an unknown in the crowd!" Came a startled voice from one of the officers over the radio.

"All units converge! Lock down the arena! Get tranq teams in there now!" Came a firm female voice. Judy recognized commander Westpaw's stern commands and started to dart towards the stage. Nick running close behind her.

Before Judy could draw her weapon however a gunshot rung out overhead and she had to hop out of the way as part of the stage just before her burst into a small shower of splinters. She rolled for cover behind a speaker and drew her tranq gun. Another shot rang out and Nick nearly took a shot at his feet. The fox dove behind cover and cursed as he looked up towards the rafters.

"We have gunshots in the arena!" Came a surprised and angry commander Westpaw over the radio. "Who is firing live rounds in there?!"

"Unknown shooter in the catwalks above the stage!" Nick managed to bark into his radio as he peaked from his cover. A shot rang out and a round went into the floor nearby. "They are keeping us from getting to the stage! We can't get a good shot with the tranqs!"

Judy peaked from cover and watched in horror as the tigers stopped convulsing and started to crawl towards Gazelle, their fangs bared as their claws dug into the stage. The popstar had a look of horror on her face as she backed away from her now savage friends. She tried to plead with them but it fell on deaf ears.

Judy tried to take aim with her Tranq gun but a shot rang out and she quickly hid behind her cover. She didn't know what to do. All she could do was watch in horror as the savage mammals began to descend on Gazelle.

As one tiger took a swipe at the popstar a shot rang out and the tiger pulled his claw back in pain and let out a roar. Judy watched as a steady stream of blood ran down the tigers arm. Another shot rang out and the next tiger closest to the singer let out a pained roar as it suddenly backed away, a small puncture wound on its back leg visible.

Shot after shot echoed out over the stage as the savage beasts were hit. None of the shots were fatal and occasionally a shot would hit the floor near one of the large cats causing it to back away and hiss. Soon the predator's movements began to become more defined and less clumsy. Judy realized it was because the effects of the Nighthowler serum were only temporary.

"Breaching the upper level! Someone really jammed this door!" Came a gruff voice over the frequency.

"We have wounded in the audience! No casualties though! Moving medics in under armor until area is clear!" another voice advised over the frequency.

Judy listened to all the chaos that had broken out at the show. The bunny gritting her teeth. She peaked her head out once more and looked at the stage. The four tiger were now out of their savage state. One of them lying in a heap in the center the stage. Gazelle standing over the wounded mammal as she applied pressure to a wound on the large felines legs.

"Help!" The singer pleaded as she looked around. Judy tried to dart forward but felt Nick grab her by the collar and pull her back.

"Not till we have the all clear Carrots! There are snipers up there!" Nick ordered as he struggled to keep his partner safe.

"We have to help Nick," Judy shot back as she looked at her partner, her eyes pleading with him.

"Remember your training," Nick growled as he kept Judy behind cover.

The fox was right, they had no way of safely getting across the stage to provide some kind of aid. They would be sitting ducks if a sniper suddenly opened up on them. Judy knew that one wrong move could spell disaster for her or Nick. They wouldn't be any help to Gazelle if they were hit as well.

"Stand by for breach," Came a muffled voice over the radio. "Clear the doors."

The seconds felt like hours as Judy waited and listened to the comms traffic. Things were frantic as units tried to key up for the radio, asking for updates, requesting orders, or just trying to be heard.

"Breach," Came a calm voice through all the chatter.

Judy heard a muffled thump up above as a charge went off upstairs.

"Move!" The team leader ordered.

Judy took this as her own chance and darted over her cover and towards Gazelle, weapon still drawn but lowered to the ground. Nick let out a curse as he tried to wave Judy back to cover. Judy however was already half way across the stage.

The doe arrived at Gazelle's side as the mammal began to weep over her fallen friend. Judy leaned close and tilted her head to the side. Her expression changed from one of seriousness to hope as she detected a faint breathing.

"He is alive," Judy reassured Gazelle as she keyed up her mic. "I need medics to the stage, we have four wounded mammals up here. One is critical."

Nick came running up beside Judy, a look of anger in his eyes when he looked at Judy. He however focused on the task at paw. He applied pressure to the wounded mammal's leg and tried to reassure the frightened singer.

"Gazelle look at me! It's going to be ok!" Nick tried to explain. Gazelle looked at her hooves and turned pale as she looked at the crimson liquid soaking her fur.

"Where are the medics?" Judy barked out loud as she looked off from the stage.

Several officers came running down the isles as mammals tried to escape all the chaos in the other direction.

"Scenes not safe yet, tactical teams still looking for the snipers," One cheetah officer explained as he tossed a small first aid kit to the side of the tiger and began to search for bandages.

"They are gone," Judy growled as she shook her head.

"And how do you know?" The cheetah asked as he began to apply bandages to the now unconscious back up dancer.

"I know him…this is what he wanted all along..." Judy said softly. Doing little to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Sadly she was right. As teams of officers poured into the arena reports began to come in.

As the tactical teams swept the upper rafters they reported finding the snipers nest. It was next to a speaker which turned out to have been hallowed out so a mammal could comfortably hide out. Spent shell casings had been found next to the speaker.

As the arena was secured more and more questions were raised. Who was the sniper? How had they gotten in? Did they belong to Jim? Where they hell had they gone?

In fairness the concert had been evacuated so quickly that if the sniper had managed to get into the crowd they would have been invisible with the thousands of mammals clambering to get out of the building.

Sadly as questions poured out very few answers seemed to appear.

The only thing that Judy did know was Jim's plan had, for the most part, failed. He had said he planned to kill Gazelle live on stage and yet the star was alive. Though she was pretty shaken from the whole ordeal she refused to leave her friends side. Only after she had been assured by the paramedics that he would pull through would she finally relent to the ZPD's request of returning to her room where they could protect her for now.

Judy felt so alone as she stood on the stage and watched everything unfold. The empty seats of the arena made the whole scene eerie. Just a few hours before the seats had been filled with mammals all cheering and singing along to the music. Now though they were empty. Save for a few officers currently combing the rows for any signs of evidence.

It had been hours now since the concert had completely fallen apart. Judy and Nick had decided to stay however. Hoping that someone would find something that connected all this to Jim or maybe some clue to the next event. Judy looked at her watch and did her best to stifle a yawn. It was so late she had a feeling that even the bars would be closed at this point. Which was unfortunate because after the night she had she could use a drink.

Sadly these thoughts led to images of Trisha happily sitting on the bar at the 10-7 as she served Judy a drink. The brown bunny smiling at Judy and gazing upon her with those bright blue eyes of hers.

The thoughts were suddenly interrupted when a small chirping and vibrating began to come from Judy's pocket.

Judy looked down at her cellphone and noticed an unfamiliar number was calling her. Normally she would screen the call and have them leave a voicemail. However after the night's events she had a feeling who was calling her. After all he had put them through this evening Jim must be calling to gloat or maybe give her a clue as to some other mad event he had planned.

Judy was so sure it was him she answered the phone so casually, "Looks like Gazelle is going-"

"Judy!" It was Trisha.

"Trisha?!" Judy responded as she felt her heart rate spike. "Trisha where are you? Are you ok?"

"Judy it's bad," Trisha groaned, obviously in some kind of pain. "This is all bad. We need to get you somewhere safe!"

"Me? What about you?"

"Not important!" Trisha shot back, her breathing labored. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the Arena in Sahara Square. There has been a sh-"

"I know all about it," Trisha cut Judy off. "Listen there is an army of ZPD there. You stay there ok?"

"Where are you? Trisha where have you been? Are you alright, you sound distressed."

"You don't know the half of it sweetheart," Trisha shot back. "Listen I'm okay for now. I have to go get something from the bar and then I'm coming to get you. Just stay there!"

"You are coming to get me? We need to send someone to get you. I'll have Bogo send someone over to the 10-7."

"No!" Trisha nearly shouted into the phone. "Just stay there, I will be real quick I promise."

"No!" Judy responded coldly. "Trisha we have been looking for you for days! We thought you had been mammal napped! Where have you been? We-"

"Judy I…" Trisha interrupted but trailed off. "There is no stopping you now is there?"

"No, I am coming to get you myself," Judy said, happy that she may have just won an argument with the stubborn bunny on the phone.

"One condition..." Trisha said in almost a whisper. "I don't want an army of ZPD right now. I love them but…well… I just want you to pick me up ok?"

"Is this some kind of trap?"

"No I was hoping to swoop you off your paws and steal you away from Nick," Trisha teased. "Bring the fox if you must. It's just…Judy I have some stuff I have to tell you face to face. Some stuff that…is going to change us..."

Judy suddenly became very concerned as to the tone of Trisha's voice mixed with the rather cryptic words.

"Nick and I will be there soon," Judy said as sweetly as she could.

"Please hurry," Trisha said softly. "Oh and Judy?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you," Trisha said solemnly as if this was a kind of tearful goodbye.

"I love you too Trisha."

The gray doe hung up and started to hurry towards the backstage area. Catching Nick's gaze she waved him over. The fox excused himself from the other officers he had been conversing with and hurried over to Judy as he tried to keep up with her eager pace. Nick could tell something was up and began to question Judy as to what was going on. Judy didn't want to have another officer overhear what had just transpired though in fear that they would send units to the 10-7 and break her promise to Trisha.

Nick must have picked up on this as his questions fell silent and he picked up his own pace to match Judy's. The couple weaved through the crowded halls of the backstage area. Officers in tactical gear, crime scene techs, and various other officers loitered in the halls. Judy did her best not to make eye contact with anyone less they try to ask where the two were off to in such a hurry.

It wasn't until they were safety inside the squad car did Judy reveal what had happened over the phone with Trisha. Nick had a look of relief on his face when he heard that Trisha had contacted Judy. The look however faded when Judy explained that something was off about Trisha and she wanted to meet alone. Nick was suddenly very hesitant at the circumstances.

"What if this is Jim? What if he is using her as bait?" Nick asked the question that had been going over in Judy's own mind.

Judy put the vehicle into gear and felt a tear roll down her cheek. "Either way…we have to go. Its Trisha and I can't leave her."

Surprisingly Nick suddenly grinned and nodded as he buckled up. Judy wanted to reach over and thank him for all of this. It was a risk for them to go like this but it was a risk they were both willing to take for Trisha. The brown bunny meant so much to Judy which meant that Trisha meant something to Nick as well. Judy pulled the squad car out of the parking lot of the arena and together she and Nick headed towards the 10-7 where Trisha was waiting, hopefully alone.

A short while later the venue to the concert was just a small building behind them. Judy tried her best to keep the cruiser in the speed limit but found herself pushing the line. The thought of seeing Trisha again pushing her to get to the 10-7 that much sooner.

Judy turned the cruiser into a sharp turn as they hugged the outside of the lane. One of the things that saved them so much time was the fact that it was so late. The streets of the city were pretty much deserted. Even for a large metropolis composed of different species Zootopia had a few times at night when it seemed like a sleepy town.

The peaceful city night was interrupted by the roaring of an engine as Judy would floor the cruiser from time to time after losing speed thanks to the occasional red light. Though she was tempted to turn the cars light bar and siren on she resisted the urge. Having a feeling it was best to remain calm and rational. The last thing she wanted to do as draw attention to the vehicle.

One thing constantly played out in her mind. Trisha was standing in the 10-7 bar smiling at her. Welcoming her. Hugging her. She had to get there. She had to see Trisha again

As they sped through the city streets Nick held onto his seat but did little else. The fox remaining silent as he scanned the city streets for any problems that may come their way. He could occasionally look over at Judy and smile. She too would look over at her partner, from time to time their gazes would meet and they would share a moment.

They were getting closer. Judy recognized the streets and guessed they were just mere seconds out. It wouldn't be long now. They would get to the 10-7, get Trisha, and get the hell out of there before any trouble could show up.

Judy looked ahead and noticed a warm orange glow ahead of them. The buildings covered in a flickering light.

Judy felt her heart race. It was too early for the sun to rise. The light was too bright to be a Street lamp or headlight. What was it?

With one last turn they were now on the street the 10-7 was located. The bar was in eyesight…or at least what was left of it was.

Judy felt her whole world come crashing down as she spotted what was ahead of them. The warm orange glow she had noticed before turning the corner wasn't the sun, it wasn't a street light, and it wasn't just some dumpster fire. It was the 10-7. Judy gripped the wheel and gritted her teeth. She felt her ears begin to droop as tears flowed down her cheeks.

"No…" Nick let out in a whisper filled with remorse.

They were too late. The 10-7 was sitting there with flames pouring out of its doorway as a plume of black smoke rose into the dark night sky. As the flames danced before them Judy noticed a figure standing in the middle of the street in front of the building. The flames caused Judy's eyes to play games with her. As she drove closer she felt her heart begin to beat faster with hope. It was a small mammal. The ears slowly raised on the mammal and Judy could tell it was a rabbit.

"Trisha!" Judy exclaimed as she looked ahead. Tears of joy pouring down her cheeks. The joy however was short lived as they drove closer to the destruction. Before them stood a dark gray rabbit with one of the most evil and smug grins Judy had ever seen. Jim looked as if he had just won the lottery. His expression was one of excitement and happiness.

"No…" Nick let out again as he realized who they were looking at. "No!"

"No…" Judy whispered as she stared at the smug looking buck who took a few steps towards the cruiser. "No!" Judy repeated as she brought the squad car to a stop just a few feet away from Jim. The rabbit in front of the squad car turned to look directly at Judy and Nick raising his paws on either side of his body, presenting the now destroyed 10-7 with pride.


	49. One Last Fight

-One Last Fight-

Judy was shaking. She felt her whole body going haywire as she sat in the squad car and looked straight ahead. Jim stood perfectly still as he beamed at Judy, the 10-7 bar a raging inferno behind him.

The bar where she had her first date with Nick, where she had met Trisha, where…Trisha had been waiting for rescue. It was all gone now. She was g…

"No…" Judy whispered as she felt tears rolling down her cheeks.

"This is Officer Nick Wil-" Nick had begun to shout into the car's radio as he tried to get a hold of dispatch. He never finished his transmission though as Judy suddenly darted from the squad car. "Judy wait!" The fox shouted as he tried to reach for her, he fell short though and watched in horror as his partner jumped out of the car and shot off towards Jim.

As Judy ran towards Jim she didn't hear anything. Not her fox shouting for her. Not Jim's laughter. Not even the sounds of the crackling flames that ate away at the 10-7. All she heard were her paw steps as she ran right down the street at Jim. The villainous rabbit stood waiting for Judy and kept his arms open wide as if ready to receive a hug. Instead, he received a solid punch to the face.

Jim went flying when Judy's clenched digits made contact. She hit him with all the force she could muster and felt invigorated as she watched Jim fly off his feet and land in the street ahead of her. Judy leaped at Jim before he could even get up and straddled the buck as she began to land punch after lunch on the laughing monster. Jim did little but smile and laugh as Judy pummeled him. It wasn't because Judy was weak though, to the contrary the buck was taking a heavy beating. No, it was because he knew he had just won. No matter what happened next he had taken something dear away from Judy and no matter how much she fought him it would never bring back Trisha.

"You bastard!" Judy screamed as her vision blurred from the tears pouring down her fur. "I'll kill you! I'll take everything from you! You took her from me! You bastard!" Judy could barely form the sentences between the growls that rumbled from her throat.

She screamed as she felt a paw grasp her shoulder and pulled her off. Judy turned to see who would dare take this from her. A pair of emerald eyes looked down at her in a pleading manner. Nick had a look that begged Judy to stop. She didn't falter though. Instead, she growled at her fox and wrenched herself free from his grasp as she leaped at Jim again and proceeded to put her paws around the buck's neck. Jim never put up a fight. His laughter, however, did grow strained as he began to have trouble breathing.

"Judy!" Nick shouted as he tried to pull her off again. The fox had trouble thanks to the cast and cursed the medical brace for being such a burden at this moment. He managed to pull Judy off once more only to have her try and claw at Jim. The buck slowly sat up and coughed as he caught his breath. The smug grin never leaving his face.

Nick used every bit of strength he could to restrain Judy. Holding her close to him with one arm while his cast tried to block her from getting to Jim.

"Let me go!" Judy pleaded through tears. "He took Trisha! He took her from me! This monster took her! She is…she was..."

This only caused a fit of laughter from Jim once more as he stood up and brushed off his dress slacks.

"That's right Judy! I did!" Jim exclaimed. "I took that stupid bunny away and trust me you will be thanking me later. The amount of trouble she has caused."

"Shut up!" Judy screamed as she flailed in Nick's arms. Trying to focus her rage on Jim. Wishing Nick wasn't there for once so she could do what needed to be done to this monster. She turned to look at her fox, her eyes glazed with tears. "Please Nick, let me finish him. I can take him" She whispered as she continued to squirm in the fox's arms.

"It's Jim," Nick shot back, "It is never that easy..."

"Clever fox," Jim shouted as he raised his cell phone into the air and pressed a button.

Nick and Judy braced themselves for what they thought would be some kind of explosion or elaborate trap. Instead, they watched as two hyenas clad in tactical gear jumped out of a parked SUV nearby. In the spur of the moment, both Nick and Judy hadn't taken a moment to scan their surroundings. Not that it mattered, the SUV's windows were blacked out with what was most likely an illegal tint level.

Nick released Judy and reached for his weapon that was concealed on the back of his belt as Judy took a few steps to the side and did the same. They froze however as the two new arrivals trained their weapons on the officers. Jim, however, raised a paw and smirked, giving his hired guns the signal to hold their fire. The canines took the hint and took up positions on either side of Jim, giving both Nick and Judy some rather dangerous looks.

"You are better than this, how did you let them get the slip on you?" The voice in Judy's head asked. She had let her emotions get the best of her and now they found themselves in a rather precarious situation. They had no backup, their weapons were still holstered, and once again they were at the mercy of this mad mammal before them. Judy felt the rage boiling inside her, this time it was both at herself and Jim.

"You two enjoy your night at the concert?" Judy asked, unable to contain her emotions. If she was going to go down then she at least wanted some answers. Tears still rolled down her cheek as the image of the burning 10-7 silhouetted her enemies. She would mourn Trisha later. After she finished Jim.

The two hyenas remained silent and just stared at the bunny and fox duo.

"Shooting unarmed civilians like that? Is that how you get your kicks?" Judy barked.

She heard Nick make a noise to her side. The fox trying to calm his bunny without making any sudden movement.

Jim burst out laughing as he looked on either side of him at his hired protection. "Not belittle my two friends here but they don't necessarily possess the skill to make hits like that. Not that quickly at least."

Judy tilted her head slightly as she felt her ears lower.

Jim tapped his paw to his chin as he thought of something, Judy could see the evil gears in the monster's mind turning, and she had to admit she was still very curious though.

"You know the ZPD should actually be thanking me," Jim finally explained as he crossed his arms, "I just took out the shooter from the concert after all."

Judy was now even more confused as she tried to understand what Jim meant, "You take out your own mercs? How does that fair for these guys then?"

Jim looked at one of the hyenas and then back to Judy, "These two are different. I am actually paying them. Trisha, however, was another story."

Judy felt rage course through her veins as Jim used Trisha's name as if speaking about an old friend. After what he had done to the poor brown doe he had no right saying her sweet name.

"What do you mean Jim…?" Nick asked to Judy's side. The fox always trying to keep things focused and objective. Judy, however, detected the anger in the fox's voice.

Jim smirked as he looked back at the burning 10-7 bar and then back to Nick, "She was working for me."

The words were spoken so simply but they carried so much weight. Judy felt her world start to spin as she processes the words Jim had just uttered. It couldn't be true. Not Trisha, she would never betray them like that. He had to be lying, this had to be one of his tricks.

"Well…I mean she kind of worked for me," Jim added as he waved a paw about, "But I mean that is all-"

"Tell us!" Judy shouted as she took a step closer to Jim. The two hyenas tensed up and aimed down their weapons at Judy. Jim, however, raised his paws once more and gave the unspoken command for the mercs to remain calm.

Jim began to chuckle as he thought things over, finally deciding how much fun he could have with all this.

"It is actually quite amusing," Jim admitted. "I didn't even have to pay her!"

Nick growled as he watched just how casual Jim spoke about the series of events.

Jim's expression grew slightly more serious as his eyes fell on Judy who felt rather disgusted to be in the buck's gaze. "All I had to do was use you…"

Judy felt her heart begin to beat faster as she tried to make sense of it all.

"You know she really loved you, Judy," Jim began to explain, "In a way, I will never understand. I mean she REALLY loved you. Not in a family like way I think. It was all very confusing to me. I tried to get her to explain it but you know how that bunny can be."

"Shut up!" Judy shouted, "Don't you dare pretend you knew her!"

"I should say the same to you, Judy!" Jim pointed out, "I mean were you aware just how dangerous that bunny was? Not just to you and Nick I might add." Jim took a moment to look at the fox, "I mean you should be thanking me, buddy left to her own devices she may have stolen your girl!"

Nick glared at the buck but remained silent. Judy could tell her fox was trying to come up with some kind of plan, she only hoped he thought of something soon.

"That bunny," Jim began as he waved a paw back at the fire, "She was a stone cold bitch! I mean that stuff at the concert was all her!"

Here it was. Judy raised her ears as she tried to listen to every little detail Jim would give them on the concert and the hell they had all just witnessed.

"All she had to do was keep you two from the stage," Jim explained. "That's it, simple! It was fool proof. I lie to her and say I have another sniper in the rafters somewhere waiting to take you two out if she doesn't cooperate. Her love for Judy would ensure she would do whatever it took to keep you safe." As Jim spoke he began to pace about. Judy had a feeling that though Jim was enjoying all this he was actually still rather angry, the reason would soon become clear.

"I mean was it that hard? Take a few pot shots at you two. Keep you down until those stupid tigers were done killing Gazelle. She had one job and yet she screwed it all up! I mean when I saw the first dancer get hit I knew what had happened. She saw through my bluff. My fault I guess, been so busy with other projects that I couldn't think of an exit plan for an actual hired gun…" It was at this point Jim began to rub his temples with his paws and mutter a few words more to himself than anyone else present. "Just had to shoot at the box's Trisha…shoot at them and take the fall….but nooo."

"So you forced her to do all that?" Nick asked, his tone serious.

"No," Jim said as he looked directly at the fox, "I did not force her to shoot the tigers. That was her thinking. Must say though was rather impressive. Hitting them in non-lethal spots. Just enough damage to keep them at bay till the effects wore off. I should have gone with the old stuff. Kept them savage for good so when she ran out of ammo they could just slowly crawl over to Gazelle and eat her that way…" Jim froze as he began to think things over, "Maybe I'll do that at her next event..."

There were a few seconds of silence before Jim began to speak again. "Either way it doesn't matter too much. All that matters is Trisha did all of it," He then looked at Judy and raised a paw in her direction, "For you Judy, she did it to protect you," He added a few fake gasps as if he was holding back tears. Jim then burst into laughter, "The stupid stuff mammals will do for love-"

There was a whizzing sound that pierced the air followed by a muffled crack. All the mammals tensed up. The hyenas looking at Nick and Judy both had shocked looks on their faces, trying to figure out where the sound came from. Nick and Judy, however, were looking right at Jim, their eyes filled with an equal amount of surprise. Jim, however, stood perfectly still as his eyes began to twitch. He reached up slowly and began to gently dab at his left ear, a giant gaping hole pierced through the fur. It was actually an amusing sight to Judy as she watched the buck process what had just happened. Apparently, it took him a second to process the pain. Jim suddenly yelped as his senses caught up with him, the buck grabbing his wounded ear and pulling it down as he cursed in agony.

"What the literal fu-" Jim began to ask as he turned to look over his shoulder. Though Judy couldn't see Jim's expression she wished she had, it must have been one of both shock, anger, and confusion.

Before the blazing inferno that was once the 10-7 was a slender figure. As the flames danced against the buildings the image of the mammal before them was distorted. A sudden burst of flame from the bar, however, illuminated the new arrival.

The mammal was clad in a black neoprene suit like Judy's. A light tactical vest covering her chest. A small pack strapped to one leg, a bandage around one ear. The rifle in her paws was held up, unwavering as it aimed directly at Jim. Judy had to restrain herself from rubbing her eyes. She felt her mind was playing tricks on her. That there was no way she was seeing all this. After a few seconds though she figured it wasn't a trick.

Standing in front of her burning bar stood the beautiful brown bartender. The fire from the bar wasn't the only things burning. A rage like Judy had never seen burning in the pair of bright blue eyes. Trisha had never looked more beautiful than she had at that moment. She was alive, she was there, and she looked like she was ready to end all of this.

At this point, one of the hyenas took notice of Jim's gaze and turned to take aim at Trisha. A red dot flicked on Trisha's rifle which was aimed directly at Jim's head. The buck took notice of the two armed mammals little stand off and raised a paw. "Hold your fire!" Jim barked as he winced in pain, blood dripping from the hole in his ear. The hyena took a step closer only freeze when Trisha did the same. "I said to hold you, idiot! You have no idea what kind of shot she is!"

Judy had a hard time gauging Trisha's expression thanks to the flames behind the vengeful bunny. If she could guess though Trisha probably had a smug grin on her pretty little face right about now. What kept Judy from seeing Trisha's expression also kept the bunny even more dangerous as a shooter. Trisha had an advantage that Judy instantly recognized. The bunny had her back to the flames so her targets were illuminated. She, however, was a harder target thanks to the blinding light caused by the burning bar. In a sense, the bar continued to be a safe haven for those fighting the good fight as it gave its last moments to help Trisha have an edge in the battle that was surely about to come.

Jim had finally gained his composure as he stood up. Judy had to stifle a laugh as she noticed the buck holding is now untied tie to the wound in an attempt to control the bleeding. It would work of sadly but it did give an amusing sight.

"You stupid bi-" Jim began to growl.

"Ah ah ah," Trisha shouted, "Weren't you the one who got mad at me on the phone when I started cursing you out?" Trisha asked, her words so smug Judy might have thought they came from Nick. Judy looked over at her fox and noticed how his tail seemed to sway slightly. Even though they were in a rather troublesome situation Judy could tell how happy he was to see Trisha was alive.

"That was then," Jim barked. "Before you went off and got all noble on me."

"I was always noble," Trisha explained, "Besides Gazelle started singing _Try Everything…"_

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"I tried everything," Trisha shot back. A burst of flame gave Judy a glance at the beautiful smile on Trisha's face, the brown bunny seemed to be enjoying herself.

Jim looked back at Judy and then to Trisha once more. From the looks of it, the buck was not finding the situation as entertaining as they all were. Which caused a ray of hope to shine through to Judy. Jim was now out of his element. He wasn't used to being in this situation. Something Judy had a feeling they could use to their advantage.

"Next time why don't you send the B team to do your dirty work," Trisha shouted, obviously speaking about the two canines that stood on either side. "Of course give them plenty of ammo because let's face it…they can't aim for shit. I have been watching this whole time and their barrel control is a joke!"

The hyena that had been looking at Judy and Nick suddenly growled and lowered his rifle as he drew his side arm and turned to Trisha.

"Why don't you say that again!" the wild dog barked, some spittle spraying from his mouth in anger.

Judy and Nick both saw their opportunity and as one they drew their concealed weapons. Both of them were modified tranq tanks and only contained a few shots that would take a moment to work but it was better than just standing there unarmed.

Jim took notice of the movement behind him and turned in time to see Judy take aim at the buck. He then looked on either side of him and noticed how all attention had gone to Trisha.

"Are you freaking kitting me?!" he barked as he took a step towards the hyena to his left and smacked the larger canine on the arm. The hyena looked down at his boss and then in the direction Jim was pointing. He looked to his partner and then cursed as he turned to look at Nick and Judy.

Judy began to assess their situation. It was bad but at the same time, it wasn't exactly good. They may have had their targets surrounded but they were all exposed. No one was really being any cover. Trisha had a better chance of survival thanks to her position on the street. If she moved back just a foot she could probably dive behind a parked car that was just to her right. Nick and Judy, however, would ha e a harder time of things since they were several feet from their squad car. Even if they managed to dive behind it there was plenty of time for the trained guns to take one of them out. The risk was way too high to just start shooting.

Of course, Jim and his mammals stood on the worst spot. They were out in the open away from any cover and Jim was already wounded, not in a way that would affect his mobility but it still put him at a disadvantage.

Surprisingly the suddenly tense scene was broken by Jim's laughter. Everyone present took a moment to look at the cackling buck as he put a paw to his side. As he wiped a tear from his eyes he took in a deep breath as he looked at Judy and then to Nick. He then turned to Trisha and shook his head.

"Did I really just get stuck in a cliché?!" He asked as he studied his surroundings. "I mean seriously? This has to be a joke. Are we all just going to stand around like idiots until someone gets bored and shoots?"

"Or we could wait for the ZFD to get here. Hell, when the address of the bar is toned out I bet half the force will come running to help," Nick pointed out. He was right. It wouldn't be long before more mammals arrived. As if to prove Nick right it was at that moment they all heard the sound of two vehicles approaching.

Just felt rather excited at that moment. The ZPD must have sent someone out to look for them. Or maybe some civilians had looked out their window at the scene and panicked.

Whatever the reason Judy was happy to hear back up arriving. That was until she turned around to see a pair of unmarked SUVs slowly pulling up on the scene. The vehicles stopped on the side of the street that the two hyenas had come from and it was at that moment all hope of arresting Jim started to fade. A warthog clad in similar gear as the hyenas stepped out of one of the vehicles along with a rather annoyed looking fox.

Just felt her ears droop as the two mammals approach the scene. However, all was not lost. Judy couldn't help but notice how neither of the new arrivals had drawn their weapons. In fact, they both looked rather bored as they approached. The fox was carrying an odd cylinder in one of his gloves paws. Everyone remained still as they watched the fox approach Jim, a scowl on the predators face.

"Who the hell are you?" Jim asked as he tilted his head and studied the fox.

"SHE sent me," the fox growled.

"She?" Jim asked, "not to brag but I know a lot of ladies."

The fox held up the cylinder and shook it in front of his face.

"Ohhhhhh," Jim said as he clapped his paws together. He then studied the fox as a quizzical look came across his face. "How did you know I was here?"

The fox smirked and raised his free paw. He then snapped his digits together. At first, Judy wondered if this was a signal to some unseen force. She then realized that both the hyenas on either side of Jim lowered their weapons. Well one of them did. The one who had drawn his side arm simply turned and aimed it at Jim.

The buck eyed the hyena and put a paw to his head. "I swear back in the day it wasn't this freaking hard to find good hench-mammals. Everyone was loyal and just followed commands. You all have gone way to cut throat to be a reliable source of protection."

Jim didn't seem so much angry as he did annoyed. From the sounds of it, he wasn't really shocked this had all happened. Of course, when he looked back at Judy he shrugged his shoulders as if to ask the doe if this all seemed normal. She simply scowled at the buck. Part of her was happy that the hired guns weren't exactly on his side anymore. The other part of her was concerned what this meant for the rest of them.

"Tell you what," Jim began as he looked back at the fox. "You help me with a certain bunny problem a d then we can talk."

Judy noticed how Trisha peaked up from her rifle only to move her barrel slightly towards the fox currently talking to Jim.

"I don't work for you," The fox growled as he leaned closer to Jim.

"Well I doubt the ZPD over there," Jim muttered as he nodded towards Nick and Judy. "Will let me go."

"That's right!" Judy barked. "He is under arrest and will be paying for his crimes."

"Listen here darling," The fox in all the tactical gear began to groan. Judy heard Nick begin to growl beside her and she couldn't help but smirk at her Fox's protective instincts. "I don't really care what he has done to you. All I care about is the lady who signs my checks said to bring him in to fix his screw up," The fox waved the canister in the air for a moment to solidify the point he was making. "When she is done with him maybe she will let you all have him." The fox then drew a pistol from his vest and took aim at Judy. "Till then he is ours and we will be taking him with us."

"I feel so popular these days," Jim muttered as he took a step to the side only to have one of the hyenas grab him by the collar. "Shoot…"

"Hey stupid!" Trisha shouted. All there Mercs including Jim looked over at Trisha who let out a laugh. "Ha! You all looked!"

Just rolled her eyes. Even in a situation like this Trisha just couldn't stop being her crazy self.

"What's in the canister anyway?" Trisha continued after she got her giggling under control.

"I ain't no egg head," The fox growled. "All I know is it goes boom and causes all sorts of trouble. Apparently, that wasn't exactly-"

"Oh perfect!" Trisha said simply. Judy watched in surprise as Trisha moved her rifle just slightly to the side and without any warning fired. The shot hit its mark and the bullet impacted on the fox's paw which caused him to yelp in pain.

Trust Trisha to cause chaos. Which was exactly what happened next. Nick and Judy let their training kick in as they raised their weapons and fired at the still surprised mercs. The few seconds it took for the other mammals to regroup we're just enough for the two officers to start retreating towards their vehicle. Trisha had done just as Judy predicted and dived for cover behind the vehicle near the burning 10-7.

The Mercs finally reorganized and began to take aim at Nick and Judy. The warthog ran forward and checked on the fox who grabbed his paw.

"I'm fine!" The fox growled as he foamed at the mouth. "Grab the buck and get him out of here!"

The warthog followed orders and grabbed Jim who had taken cover on the ground nearby. He let out a surprised shout and fought for a second but one of Trisha's shots caused the ground next to him to spark which convinced Jim he would be safer with the hired guns.

The hyenas, just as Trisha had predicted, weren't exactly the best shots. They may have been hired guns but that didn't make them expert marks-mammals. Their shots went wild at first but they were soon honing in on Judy and Nick. What saved the two officers was Trisha who fired a round into the back of one of the hyenas which caused him to fall to a knee and Yelp. The other hyena moved over and grabbed his partner by the arm and hauled him up only to have a shot hit him in the square of the back. Judy felt that Trisha may be pulling her hits. The bunny was showing great control as she took careful aim of the mammals that were in the killing ground between Judy Nick, and Trisha.

The warthog that had been dragging Jim towards the trucks stopped for a moment to take aim at Judy. The first shot nearly hit the doe who instinctively ducked down. The first round going high. The next shot would have surely hit her if it were not for the fox who ran over and grabbed the warthog's gun.

"No!" the fox shouted. His surprised companion gave the fox an odd look and Judy managed to hear the fox growl. "Dead cops means more trouble! Flash em!"

One of the hyenas grabbed a small object on his vest and pulled a pin. He loved it in Trisha's direction. The brown bunny taking cover from the blast.

The other hyena was still hobbling over to the SUVs. In his faxed state he grabbed the canister the fox had dropped earlier. The device had not detonated like Trisha had tried to make it. Instead, it had simply fallen to the street and had been sitting there, waiting to be used.

The canine desperate pulled an odd looking pin out of the canister and then lobbed it over at Nick.

"No!" Jim shouted as he watched the hyena use the canister.

Judy watched as the scene played out in slow motion. The canister flew in an arc towards the squad car. Nick had his attention on the other fox as he took aim and prepared to fire. He heard the canister land just a few feet away from him. As the fox looked down his eyes went wide. He braced himself for the explosion. Had he been paying attention to his side he might have seen Judy running towards him. Maybe he would have stopped her. Maybe he would have shouted for her to run. Maybe he would have given her a look to convince her not to do what she was about to do.

Judy ignored all the instincts screaming in her mind to run. To hide. To take cover. Instead, she focused on her fox. His handsome suit, his bright green eyes, even his cast. She loved every part of him. Which is why she ran towards him. She leapt up with all the strength she could muster and brought both her strong feet up. They impacted the fox in his side with enough force to send the fox flying. Nick shouted as he felt his body fly to the side. He fell in a heap on the other side of the squad car.

"Carrots?!" he shouted.

The blast wasn't as loud as Judy thought it would be. She was also surprised as to how little shrapnel there was. In fact, there was virtually no pieces of metal. Sure there was a sudden expansion of air around her as the canister blew open. It was just off how she could feel a warmth envelope her but not a heat.

She remembered a talk with Delta she had had several days before about their line of work. She had asked if he was scared of ever being in a blast. The canine had laughed and said, of course, he had been but if he was to be next to blast he said he hoped he was in the center of it. As it turns out there was a scientific reason behind it. The painted dog had explained that his nerve endings would be burned away before his brain could process the pain. It would be quick and then he would be gone. Just began to wonder if that was what was happening to her. What made her realize she was still alive was the sudden pain that ripped into her side. She opened her eyes as the world around her continued to play in slow motion. A purple Haze enveloped her and surrounded her small frame. Only to be tossed from the cloud of purple flower smelling gas. Like a rag doll, she was thrown through the air and right into the windshield of their squad car. There was a sickening crack as Judy felt the glass break. At least she thought it was the glass. A snapping pain shot through one of her arms and soon her legs followed suit.

"Judy!" Nick shouted. His voice sounding muffled.

There was the sound of tires screeching. A few muffled thumps followed. Judy felt dizzy as she tried to focus on her surroundings. She couldn't move though. She felt her body going numb as a rage built up inside her. Only to be subdued by sadness. She recognized the feelings. She couldn't explain it but everything felt carnal about it. Like she wanted to lose control. Her aching body though refused to respond to the demands of her mind.

"Judy!" Nick shouted again. Just heard the sounds of scraps and Nick was suddenly standing over her on the hood of the car. "Oh, gods carrots!"

The look of fear in his eyes confirmed Judy's suspicions. She was in bad shape. Very bad shape.

"Nick…" she wanted to saw but her jaw ached in such a way the words just wouldn't come out.

"Nick!" Trisha shouted, her voice grew closer. "Nick….oh no..."

Nick turned to look at something out of Judy's view. His voice shaking but determined.

"Trisha watch her!" The fox barked. He then disappeared.

Judy groaned, scared to be left alone. She wasn't for long though. A pair of brilliant blue eyes were suddenly in her vision. Tears welling up in Trisha's eyes.

"Oh, Judy! I'm so sorry! Just hold on ok? Oh Judy," Trisha begged as she tried to comfort the bunny.

Judy groaned in pain. She was confused as she kept trying to move but her body just wouldn't respond. Suddenly waves of pain began to wash over her. Judy began to let out gasps which soon turned into screams as the white hot agony swept through her.

"Judy oh gosh…" Trisha balled. She then looked over her shoulder. She hopped away out of Judy's vision. Judy continued to groan in pain as she tried to move. She felt a pressure on her shoulder as Trisha returned.

"This is Officer Nick Wilde!" Came Nick's voice from somewhere behind Judy. "We are at the 10-7 bar. Judy is down! I repeat we have an officer down! Request immediate medical response!"

The sounds of sirens in the distance rang in Judy's ears. They were close and getting closer.

Judy wanted to try and comfort her fox. To show him she would be alright. More pain shot through her and she groaned.

"Shhh, shhh, it's ok Judy," Trisha cooed as she sat over Judy. Just looked up at Trisha as her vision blurred from all the trauma she had just been through. Trisha was fiddling with Judy's tranq gun. It had been smashed in the explosion but Trisha showed she knew a thing or two she pulled the magazine from the broken weapon. She checked the fee darts that were in the magazine and cursed as she tossed some to the side, a blue ooze coming from them. Trisha's eyes brightened suddenly when she found a dart still intact. Without wasting any time the brown doe plunged the dart into Judy's shoulder. Judy winced and groaned in pain.

"I'm so sorry sweetie," Trisha cooed once more as she gently rubbed the injection site. "I'm so sorry Judy…I'm so…sorry..."Judy didn't hear the rest as the world swirled into a darkness before completely fading to black.

* * *

 **Come on now, you didn't think I would let anything happen to my favorite bartender now, would you?**

 **This has been planned out for a while now. Trisha always had these hidden talents, just took a mad mammal like Jim for them to finally come out.**

 **Of course, a lot of you will probably be asking if we will see more of Trisha's past. Yes, yes we will. In fact, it will all be revealed in the last chapter. Or should I say the next chapter?**

 **That's right, hold onto your butts. _We Just Call Them Nighthowlers_ is coming to a close. **

**Can't wait to finish all of this.**

 **-Blue**


	50. Midnicampum holicithias

- _Midnicampum holicithias-_

Someone was talking. They were far away though. Far away and behind a door from the way the muffled sounds echoed in the darkness.

Judy began to wonder why the noises sounded so familiar? Why did she feel comfortable when she heard them? Why were they getting sharper and sharper?

"Here she comes," Came a female's voice, it sounded like their mouth was full of cotton balls.

"Judy?" It was Judy's mother. Her voice sounded muffled and strained. Judy tried her best to focus on her mother's voice, she felt her ears twitch which caused a pressure in one of her ears, it was discomforting and she responded by groaning as if the noise could sooth the unpleasant feelings.

"Judy dear," Bonnie whispered softly.

"Sorry Mrs. Hopps but let's not touch her just yet, let her come out of this on her own," Came the females voice once more.

"Oh my sweet Judy," Bonnie whispered.

The sounds began to grow sharper and soon Judy could hear the soft noises that filled the room. At first, they were muffled but with every passing second, she could hear more and more. The steady beeping of the medical equipment, the cooing from her mother, the subtle gasps that were obviously her father trying to keep his emotions in check.

Judy slowly opened her eyes, blinking at first only to wince at the sharpness of the bright lights.

"Oh gosh," The female's voice said quickly, "Officer Wilde would you mind getting the lights?"

The room was dimmed as the lights in the ceiling turned off. Only a few small lights around the room were left on, leaving the hospital room in a blue glow.

"That better Officer Hopps?" Judy recognized the voice now. It was Dr. Sweet, the lioness was towering over Judy and examining the small doe as she came out of a deep sleep. "There we go, try and open those eyes again."

Judy followed her doctor's orders and groaned as she slowly opened her bright purple eyes.

"That's it, you are doing great Judy," Dr. Sweet said kindly as she reached over and gently placed a paw on the side of Judy's head. "Ok, little bright light now. Get ready."

Dr. Sweet turned on a small pen light and shined it at the sides of Judy's eyes. The bunny closed her eye lids at first and groaned.

"Keep them open for me Judy, ok?"Dr. Sweet instructed in a kind tone, "Just need to see if we have any problems."

As the doctor performed a few checks Judy tried to take in her surroundings. Everything was still a little dull as her senses still tried to process everything. She felt so very tired but also a little warm. She couldn't remember how she had gotten to the hospital but she did remember she had been hurting before. So much pain had coursed through her. Now though she just felt small bits of discomfort.

"Alright Judy," Dr. Sweet said happily, "Looks like you are recovering nicely. Now we are going to have to give you some more meds to make you sleep some more. I just thought you would like to see your family for a moment."

The lioness stepped to the side and began to check some of the equipment that sat next to the bed. This signaled Judy's parents it was alright to speak to their daughter. Both the bunnies moved in and stood on either side of their daughter.

"Hey there Jude the dude," Her father said, his lips quivering as he tried to hold back the tears. "You're looking…." He trailed off which told Judy she was not exactly looking herself. She wanted to know what happened and tried to speak, but her jaw felt so very sore and at the sound of her words starting to form Dr. Sweet looked over and instructed Judy to remain silent, to just let her parents do the talking for now.

"Oh sweetie," Bonnie said kindly. It was obvious that she wanted to embrace her daughter but restrained herself. The older gray bunny remained strong for her daughter. Her words were kind and almost devoid of sadness. Judy always admired her mother for being so strong in times like these. "Just know that everything is going to be alright. You are in the best paws we could ask for. Dr. Sweet has been so amazing and the other doctors here are working so very hard for you."

Stu began to gasp once more as he tried to contain the tears. "Oh, Stu!" Bonnie shot at her husband as she quickly moved around the bed. "Oh hush now, she is going to be perfectly fine." As Bonnie tried to comfort the emotional buck Judy noticed her look across the room and smile at a mammal in the shadows, "Nick dear, why don't you come say hello."

Judy felt her heart skip a beat and noticed how the steady beeping sounds from the machine seemed to change rhythm.

"Oh now that is adorable," Dr. Sweet gushed before returning to her work, having picked up the effect Nick's name had on Judy.

Judy tilted her head very slightly and winced at the discomfort. It was worth it though to see that handsome fox again. Nick stepped forward and stood on the side of the bed where Bonnie had stood just seconds before. His smile was confident but Judy could see a slight sadness in his eyes.

"Hey Carrots," Nick said in such a sweet tone that Judy felt herself falling for him again. "So do all rabbits sleep this much or is it just you?"

Gosh, even in a time like this he just couldn't resist being himself. She loved him that much more for it though.

"Alright, now that everyone has said hello I think it's time for someone to get more rest," Dr. Sweet said as she stepped over to an IV that was hanging over one side of Judy's head.

Judy began to moan in protest but her doctor wouldn't hear any of it.

"I am sorry Officer Hopps," Dr. Sweet began, "This was just to see how you were doing, we need you to rest some more. I will be waking you up again soon. For now though sleep."

As Dr. Sweet injected something into the IV Judy looked back at Nick and tried her best to smile. It was hard at first but soon her muscles followed the orders her brain was giving and she gave her fox the smallest of grins.

"I'll be right here Carrots," Nick whispered as he leaned closer. He had to stop himself from pressing his lips against Judy's head but just having him close was enough for Judy to let out a pleased noise. "You get some rest alright. I am not going anywhere."

With that Judy fell into a deep sleep once more. The last thi9ng she heard was the steady beeping of the medical equipment before everything drifted into a dream world.

Judy lost track with how many times she was brought in and out of her sleep. Occasionally it would be by Dr. Sweet who would perform a series of tests to see how Judy's senses faired. Every time Judy woke up Nick was standing there waiting for her. Her parents would take shifts from time to time. Judy would wake to find her father giving her a happy smile. Or she would wake to see her mother with a loving look. The one thing that remained constant however was Nick. He was there every time Judy came to. She had so many questions she wanted to be answered. One of which was why she occasionally woke up with a breathing mask on. An odd flowery scent filling her nostrils from the air being pumped into her.

Eventually, she was told she would not have to be forced back into a sleep. That she could remain awake if she wanted but wasn't allowed to leave the bed for now. Judy would also have to take breaths from an oxygen mask that they left on the side of her pillow. She had to sit still and just rest. She felt slightly restless and hated knowing she wasn't allowed to get up. Of course, she soon realized she didn't have much of a choice. Every time she had been brought back into reality it had just been for a minute or two. Not really enough to gather much information. Now that she was allowed to stay awake however it allowed Judy to get a feel for what had happened to her. The first thing she noticed as her legs. As she tried to move them she felt a numbness around her thighs. She looked down and noticed how her legs seemed to be much larger under the sheets. She began to pull away at the covers but was stopped by Nick.

"Carrots," Nick said softly as she sat up and looked at her fox. He looked for the right words but then looked at Dr. Sweet who took in a deep breath.

"Are you alright with Officer Wilde here hearing your condition?" Dr. Sweet asked. Judy nodded, she had a feeling this was some legal procedure they had to do. Nick must have been aware what Judy had been through and her current condition. Dr. Sweet reached for a clipboard at the end of Judy's bed and then took one step so she was beside Judy. "Alright Judy, so I want you to know that most of this stuff isn't permanent and from the looks of it you have already begun to recover rather quickly."

Judy smiled and looked over at Nick. His eyes gave her strength and she felt herself leaning over a little closer to the fox. Dr. Sweet cleared her throat which brought Judy's attention back to the lioness.

"Do me a favor and take a little breath from this Judy," Dr. Sweet instructed as she held the small mask towards Judy. The bunny followed the doctors instructed and took a series of breaths from the odd smelling gas. "Alright. So now on to the easy stuff…"

Over the next few minutes, Judy was put through the ringer. Though Dr. Sweet reassured Judy everything would be alright in the end it was still a lot to handle right now. During the incident in front of the 10-7 Judy had been tossed rather hard against their cruiser. One of her legs was broken. Judy winced at the news and groaned when she found out the other leg had to be in a cast because it had been dislocated at a rather odd angle. Though the dislocation had already been repaired they wanted her to stay off both legs for now. One of her arms had received some minor burns from where the canister had blasted open. Her clothing had saved the rest of her fur though. For now, the arm was wrapped in a series of bandages. Dr. Sweet was confident that the burns had been treated properly and that Judy would have some lovely gray fur covering her arm again in no time.

While the doctor explained all of this Judy would look at Nick occasionally. The fox giving Judy a confident grin. Though Dr. Sweet protested at first she finally relented to Judy who kept trying to inch her paw over to Nick's.

"Oh for crying out loud," Dr. Sweet exclaimed as she caught the couple trying to touch each other once more. "You can hold paws but gently Officer Wilde. Very gently!"

The rest of the prognosis went a whole lot smoother for Judy who gripped her fox's black paw in her own. Though she was still rather weak from her ordeal she felt stronger feeling his touch.

The lioness in the lab coat continued explaining what Judy had been through. "You remember how last time you broke one ear. Well apparently the other one got jealous of all that attention and you managed to break your other ear. Well not so much break as damage. So far we don't believe you will suffer any permanent damage but just know you will have to keep it wrapped up for a bit till it is fully healed."

Judy nodded as she listened to her doctor. She felt rather grateful to have Dr. Sweet looking her over again. The lioness had been an amazing healer last time and Judy was confident in her doctor's skills.

Though Dr. Sweet's tone was one of encouragement and confidence as the list of Judy's injuries went on the doe felt her good ear droop slightly. If it wasn't for the strength she got from Nick she may have broken down. The fox though remained close as Dr. Sweet explained the extent of Judy's injuries.

Once done with the long list Dr. Sweet took in a deep breath and held the clipboard to her chest.

"Now for the hard bit," The lioness said with a sigh.

Judy grew rather concerned at this last remark. If that was the easy stuff then what could possibly be the hard bits?

Just felt her breathing grow ragged and her heart rate increase. Dr. Sweet grabbed the breathing mask and flipped a switch nearby

"Deep breath Judy," The lioness said firmly. Judy followed her doctor's orders and took a deep breath of the flowery smelling air. "Good girl."

After a few deep breaths, Judy's heart rate returned to normal and she found she could breathe a great deal better.

"So that is actually the hard bit," Dr. Sweet explained. "Judy I am not sure how to explain this. No one really is. My college is completely at a loss on this as well…"

Judy sat back in her bed and listened as Dr. Sweet explained what had happened to Judy. Over the past few days, they had pieced together that the canister that had exploded and sent Judy through the cruiser window contained some kind of modified Night howler serum that when activated turns into a small cloud of smoke. As it turned out though this strain was a new type and was still being examined. They didn't have much to go on however as the canister did leave much of a sample for them to work with. They, in the end, had taken some blood samples from Judy. It was around this time she had begun to show signs of withdrawal. A toxicity screening was done on the bunny to see what she could possibly be suffering withdrawal from. As it turned out it was Night howler. Her body had changed in order to compensate for the exposure. Seeing as Judy had been exposed to two different types of Nighthowler her body must have thought this was a normal thing and changed to accept the Night howler. As crazy as it sounded just now needed Night howler to operate. She would be exposed to a small dose which in the end turned out to be the flower which had been blended and then turned into a powder. The tube she had been breathing through the past few days had dispensed the Nighthowler at a certain dose. In some sense, it was an inhaler. An inhaler filled with deadly night howler.

The irony was not lost on Judy. She was the one that had fought so hard during the case. The one who wanted this stuff destroyed and off the streets. Now though she would be depending on it to survive.

She looked at Nick as tears welled up in her eyes. The fox leaned over and put his muzzle under Judy's chin and gave her a gentle nuzzle. It was enough to calm the bunny for the most part. Tears still found their way down her cheeks though.

"Now Judy I want you to know we are currently working to figure this out. I don't want to give you false hope but we already lowered the dosage slightly with no noticeable effects. So that tells me you may be able to wean off of this stuff eventually. For now, though we will have this device at the ready. Whenever you feel a little hard of breathing or low on energy I want you to take a few breaths."

"Low energy?" Nick asked as he looked at the lioness.

"Yes. We believe that Judy's body will occasionally be unable to produce the energy she needs to get through the day. This kind of exposure though will give her more energy and convince her body to process what she needs to keep going."

Nick suddenly had a rather odd smirk on his muzzle. One that Judy eyed with apprehension.

"So it's like spinach?" Nick asked.

"Spinach?" Dr. Sweet asked.

"She's Judy the sailor mam! She's Judy the sailor mam. She gets to the finish because she eats her spinach!" Nick began to sing a song from the old Pop eye show. Judy let go of Nick's paw. When he tried to scoop her up once more she swatted it away playfully.

Dr. Sweet rewarded Nick's song with a small chuckle as she shook her head. She then grew somewhat more serious as she looked at Judy. The bunny braced herself for more bad news.

"We are currently trying to find a more reasonable delivery method for this medicine. Right now it's stored in a giant tank which I have a feeling neither of you will enjoy lugging around the city while on patrol," Oddly enough the lionesses words gave Judy some hope. From the sounds of it, Dr. Sweet believed Judy could actually return to work in the future. "While we work on the proper dosage and delivery system I am afraid you will have to stay here with us Judy. We also need to study the effects the new strain is having on you."

"How long?" Judy asked as her ears drooped.

"We don't know," Dr. Sweet said softly, "It could be a few days or even a few…months..."

The harsh reality of Judy's new condition set in and the doe felt a form of depression wash over her. The sadness however stopped when she felt Nick squeeze her paw gently. She looked over at her fox and was suddenly given hope.

A small chirping came from her coat and she pulled out a phone and sighed.

"Judy I am sorry but I am needed elsewhere," the lioness explained. "Do you have any more questions for me at this time?"

Judy shook her head and gave her doctor a warm smile. She was still spinning from all the new information but for now, she felt the worse was over with. Mind you she also had a feeling the meds from earlier were still swirling around her body which caused her to be more relaxed than she would normally be.

"I will be checking on you a little later then." With that, Dr. Sweet gave Nick a nod and excused herself from the room.

The door slowly clicked closed, leaving Nick and Judy alone in the room. Judy adjusted herself so she was sitting up. Her head had a little trouble staying up at first but Nick solved that problem by bringing Judy another pillow which he gently slid behind the wounded doe. She smiled at her fox and reached out for him. Nick gently scooped up the does paw and sat back down in his seat next to the bed. They sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Not in a bad way though. Judy felt she could just stare into those bright emerald eyes of Nick's all day. Soon though certain thoughts invaded Judy's mind. One thought in particular: Trisha.

"Nick?" Judy began to grow concerned as she realized no one had brought up the absent doe recently.

"She's ok," Nick said with a weak smile. Of course, her fox could read her like a book and must have had a feeling the subject would come up sooner rather than later. "It's just….complicated."

"Where is she?" Judy asked, having a bad feeling she wouldn't like the answer.

Nick took in a deep breath as he tried to figure out how to explain where the bouncy brown bunny that Judy cared for so much was currently being held. "She is currently being held..."

Judy winced when she heard the first part of the sentence.

"At the Rainforest District facility," Nick finally answered. "Awaiting trial."

Days turned into weeks and sadly those managed to turn into months as Judy remained at the hospital. Though she had almost completely recovered she was still stuck in the building. Friends and family came to visit her often. Even chief Bogo managed to swing by a pawful of times, occasionally bringing Angie who greeted Judy like they were sisters. Judy loving the affection from all of those she cared about. Of course, someone was missing. Someone rather important to the bunny.

Eventually, the day of the trial came and Judy sat patiently in her bedroom in the hospital. No longer in critical condition, she was staying in a small room on the 3rd floor. The view was alright, she could see the city busily going about its day. It kept her distracted as she waited for Nick to return. Though Judy couldn't go she asked Nick to be at the trial and show Trisha their support. The fox did so without much prompting. Sadly he wasn't allowed to text her during the trial which had been sealed off from the public. There was no televised trial today which caused Judy's patience to falter.

The sound of knocking on her hospital door caused her to nearly jump from the bed. She winced though knowing she should take it easy. Her body still recovering from all the physical therapy.

"Come in," Judy said nervously.

Nick opened the door and entered. The fox looked very handsome in his dress uniform. The fox deciding that showing up as a member of the ZPD may look better for Trisha's case.

"So?" Judy asked hesitantly as she saw the solemn look on her fox's face.

"She's back at the rainforest facility now," Nick said as he placed his hat on a table near the door. He was carrying a duffel bag with various snacks for Judy along with a laptop which he produced and brought over towards the bed.

This confused Judy at first. There wasn't a prison in the rainforest district. There was a small minimum security jail which was really just for probation and minor offenses. The confusion must have shown on Judy's expression as the fox took a moment to give his bunny a smug grin before explaining.

"Well let's just say we left the dash cam on in the cruiser when we pulled up to the 10-7," Nick began to explain. It all then came flooding back to Judy. Jim had been bragging about using Trisha in his schemes. How he had tricked her into doing what she did.

"Ok...but first…what about Gazelle's back up dancers?" Judy asked hesitantly. Though Trisha could be seen as a coerced accessory to a crime she was still responsible for firing on civilians.

Nick, however, rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed chuckle. "Well first off they aren't pressing charges. They were explained as to what happened to them when they were under the Nighthowler control. At first, they were devastated to hear that they were a threat to the gazelle. I thought for sure they would be ticked at Trisha for taking shots at them. Turns out they are on a level of loyalty to that singer that I could never begin to understand. None of them decided to press charges against Trisha. In fact, one of them wanted to thank the bunny for keeping Gazelle safe during the concert."

"But they were all hit!" Judy exclaimed as she remembered the Tigers each taking a hit. One of them even passing out.

Nick nodded and began to move his head from side to side. He stopped at the side of Judy's bed and patted it, the bunny hopping up and scooting over so she was now in front of the fox who placed the laptop next to the bunny and began to type away.

"Well about that..." Nick said with a weak smile. "You know how during a shootout the adrenaline starts pumping..."

"Nick..."

"She was using a rabbit Caliber gun…so you know. Against a tiger, it's really like a pellet gun if anything..." Nick said before raising his paws, "not that you bunnies aren't dangerous. I mean one of you is the toughest cop in the ZPD while the other turned out to be some kind of sniper...which explains all the coasters..." Nick trailed off as he suddenly remembered what an expert Trisha was of throwing small objects at the fox.

"Wilde!" Judy barked as she brought her fox back to reality. "Focus!"

Nick shook his head as he banished the thoughts from his mind for the moment.

"What about the tiger who passed out from blood loss?" Judy asked hesitantly.

Nick suddenly burst out laughing which Judy found rather morbid.

"Oh don't worry carrots. It's actually kind of amusing," Nick began to explain. "Turns out..." The fox leaned close to the doe who leaned towards her fox. "The big guy hates the sight of blood. When the Nighthowler wore off and he saw what had happened to his leg he fainted... I think the docs said he just needed a bandage and was good to go. Either way, none of them stayed in the hospital for more than a day."

Judy felt her jaw drop as she heard the news. She wasn't sure just how forgiving she would have been to someone who shot at her. In fairness, though all of them would apparently make a full recovery and in the end, Gazelle had been protected. Judy thought back to the night of the concert. Everything had seemed so dramatic. So serious. So very crazy. She then realized that if Trisha had used a weapon with the Caliber to cause damage to one of the massive tiger dancers it would have looked like a cannon compared to the small doe and would probably give off such a kick that it would have dislocated something in Trisha's arm.

"Well that handles the civil part," Judy said softly as she tried to think this all through.

"Yeah," Nick muttered, "As for criminal…well let's just say she had an amazing lawyer."

"You?" Judy teased as she raised an eyebrow at her fox. Nick burst out laughing at this point.

"No, though I have been told I would make a great one."

"You would look good in a suit," Judy teased as she eyed her fox with a hungry look. She reached over and pulled on the fox's tie and brought his head a little closer. The fox smirked and he complied, gently pressing his lips with Judy's. The couple enjoyed the sweet little kiss before letting their lips part. Judy felt her emotions going crazy. She had a great deal of pent up emotion at the moment thanks to Dr. Sweet's orders of no hiding the carrot while Judy was in the hospital.

"I look good in whatever I wear," Nick pointed out which got an eye roll from his partner.

"Ok so criminal charges. We are looking at…oh gosh…" Judy said as she tried to think where to begin when it came to the amount of trouble Trisha would be in when it came to criminal charges. There was the use of a deadly weapon, public endangerment, conspiracy, and collusion with a known criminal, discharge of a weapon in a crowd, even the possibility of domestic terrorism. All of it spelled an extremely long sentence for the poor bunny.

Judy looked over at Nick and suddenly became rather confused. The fox had a smirk on his lips. Was he enjoying the thoughts of Trisha being locked away forever like that? Could he really be so cold? Sure Trisha and Judy had had a little fling but that was so long ago and Trisha was in no way a threat to Nick and Judy's relationship. Judy was about to berate the fox for his demeanor during all of this when the fox finally spoke up.

"You remember some of the classes back in the academy?" Nick began as he gently squeezed Judy's paw. The doe looked up for a moment as she tried to remember a class that dealt with bunnies shooting up Tigers.

"I mean…yeah but..."

"The ones about unique laws?" Nick asked, narrowing down the bunnies search.

Judy simply nodded but gave her fox an unbelieving look.

"Well turns out there is a law that hasn't been abolished from Zootopia's founding about prey protection..."

"No way…"

"You best believe City Hall has gotten their act together though," Nick began. "The last thing they want is everyone knowing they are behind on abolishing bigoted laws from the past."

"What the hell law exists that makes that ok?" Judy asked. "I mean don't get me wrong, I want Trisha to be off the hook but…still..."

"Apparently there was still a lot of believing back in the day that predators could go savage once more," Nick began to say, the subject was obviously uncomfortable for him, being a predator species himself. "Well, they had some laws in place in case it happened. If a predator began to show off aggressive or dangerous tendencies then they could be restrained or…well…taken care of in the mindset of protecting the rest of the city. Even by gun toting civilians."

"It can't be that simple," Judy said as she shook her head.

Nick raised his paws in the air and shrugged, "I wasn't the mammal defending Trisha who brought it up. But if I do ever cross the law I want this guy in my corner. Speaking of which…" The fox suddenly had a sad look on his face. "You and I can't start dating again for another 3 weeks…"

Judy felt her heart rate spike as her heart plummeted to the pit of her stomach.

"What? Why? What happened?"

Nick saw the sadness forming in Judy's beautiful eyes and suddenly raised his paw in the air and waved it about. "Easy Carrots! I was just kidding!"

"Don't do that to me, Nick!" Judy shot back, the urge to jab her dumb fox in the side was overwhelming but luckily for the fox, she was too weak to put up a fight.

"Turns out that though there was no law banning complete interspecies relationships there were ones put in place for certain species," Nick explained as he scooped up Judy's paw once more.

"You're kidding..." Judy grumbled for what must have been the third time today. She reached over and took a breath from her medicine mask before returning her gaze to Nick. This was all starting to be a little too much for the doe.

"Yeah, apparently bunny and fox relationships were on a list as…what did they call it?" Nick thought for a moment then smirked, "unacceptable."

"I'll give them unacceptable..." Judy growled.

Nick leaned over and before the doe could react he gave her the gentlest kiss on the nose which caused all of the bad thoughts in her mind to simply fade away.

"If dating you means breaking the law then I guess we will just be law breakers together..."

Judy let out a deep breath as she felt a tear roll down her cheek. "Dumb fox…"

"You know you love me," Nick shot back.

"Do I know that?" Judy began, the mantra sounding even sweeter to her at this moment than it had before, "Yes, yes I do."

Judy had to resist the urge to climb out of bed and cuddle up with her fox. She took a deep breath and returned to the previous subject.

"So she wasn't charged with anything?" Judy asked in disbelieve.

"Oh she was, a lot of stuff actually," Nick said sadly which caused Judy to sigh with regret. "Apparently they spent hours bargaining for a lighter sentence. I think all the character witnesses helped though."

"Character witnesses?" Judy asked, her voice suddenly sounded ragged as she began to cough. Nick leaned over and rubbed his bunny's shoulders and nodded towards the breathing mask which Judy picked up hesitantly. She took a few deep breaths from the mask and closed her eyes. The Nighthowler coursing through her system and calming her nerves. She began to wonder just how long she would be dependent on this stuff. Dr. Sweet had her confidence but Judy was still worried that she may be like this for a while.

Once Judy had calmed down Nick picked up where he left off.

"Character witnesses. That's what saved her in my opinion." Nick explained. "Literally half the precinct showed up to the hearing. Bogo included. Along with chiefs from across the city. A few commissioners, firefighters, medics, doctors..."

"Everyone showed up for her…" Judy whispered as she looked down at her sheet, "I should have been there for her…"

"I made sure she knew you would have been," Nick said sweetly.

Judy's ears felt sore as they perked up slightly. She winced but waved Nick's concern to the side, the discomfort was gone as quickly as it had come.

"Thanks for going Nick," Judy said softly as she looked into the bright green eyes of her mate.

Nick nodded and gave Judy a warm smile. "Had to be, was needed to explain what happened on the dashcam of our cruiser from the night we met Jim at the 10-7."

"So the dash cam was still on?!" Judy asked, suddenly a little worried. She had acted out of passionate and knew she must have violated at least half a dozen ZPD policies by attacking Jim the way she did.

"No one blames you for your actions, Judy," Nick said sweetly. "In fact, a few officers mentioned they would have just shot Jim right then and there. If anything you were more restrained than half the officers in the ZPD would have been."

"Still isn't an excuse," Judy muttered sadly.

"Well just know Bogo smiled when he watched it," Nick informed Judy. "I told him the right hook you sent Jim flying with was for Hank."

Judy only felt a little better about what had transpired but still embarrassed to know that the dash cam footage had been shown for all to see.

"Besides everyone was more focused on the part where Jim pretty much admits it was all him. That video saved Trisha a lot of hard time."

"How?" Judy asked. "It just showed she was working with that monster..."

"No," Nick said firmly. "It showed she was forced to do what she did to protect you and other members of the ZPD. It showed what she was willing to do for you. It also showed her pretty much saving our tails. If she hadn't shown up when she did…well let's just say we painted a rather dark picture for the jury so it made Trisha look like a kind of misguided hero."

"Still..." Judy sighed.

"Hey now…" Nick said as he put a paw under Judy's chin and brought her gaze to him. She sniffled slightly as she looked into his eyes. "I have forgiven her…sure she had her secrets but we all do. In time I hope you can-"

"I forgave her the second she shot Jim's ear," Judy admitted "I just wish…I wish Jim had never happened. We could all be sitting at the bar right now if it wasn't for him..."

"I know Carrots," Nick said solemnly. "I know..."

Judy took a moment to collect her thoughts before pursuing more information about the trial.

"So it sounds like she had a lot going for her," Judy said with a bit of hope. That hope only lasted a second when she heard what Nick had to say next.

"Yeah…well it almost fell apart when they showed the videos..."

Judy became concerned at the fox's sudden change in expression. He looked solemn and distant.

"Videos?"

Nick took in a deep breath and looked at the door before looking back at Judy.

"Nick?" Judy asked hesitantly.

"Some videos were leaked to the public. They were used in the case against Trisha…" Nick explained as he looked over at the laptop in front of him.

"Do you have them?" Judy asked as she looked at the laptop as well.

Nick signaled for Judy to scoot over on the bed and she did. The fox climbing up and sitting next to her, the computer sitting in his lap. Judy scooted close to her fox and gently leaned her head on his arm, her eyes looking directly at the screen.

The play symbol sitting in the middle of a blank image, waiting to be activated. Nick took one last look at Judy who gave the fox a nod, signaling she was ready. With that Nick pressed play.

The screen filled with the image of a porcupine in a lab coat. Behind him was a room filled with different pieces of equipment, tubes, and of course bottles of liquid that looked tasty but we're probably pure poison.

"Dr. Salt journal entry number 1," The porcupine began as he cleared his throat. "Finally managed to find a sponsor for this new experiment. Was hard at first and sadly I have been turned down by so many forms I was starting to lose all hope. But with perseverance, we have found the funding necessary to begin our work. What work is that? Well, let me explain." The scientist disappeared from the screen as a small doodle popped up. The image of a tiger and a porcupine showed up on the screen. "So right now the ZPD and other various agencies depend on the use of Tranquilizer darts to apprehend any mammal wanting to cause trouble."

The crudely drawn porcupine pulled a small gun out of thin air and fired a dart at the tiger.

"Only problem is it takes a few seconds to activate," the tiger swayed for a moment and then lunged at the porcupine whose eyes became giant Xs.

"Also on rare occasions, the target has suffered injuries due to dart mishaps." The porcupine and tiger image reset. The prey mammal firing at the predator only to have the dart land in the tiger's eye. The tiger making a frowning face. The image reset again and the dart landed on the tiger's neck only to snap off and leave the needle buried in the tiger's skin. Several more images played out. Each one ending with some kind accident that leads to one of the mammals suffering more than just a hit of Tranquilizer.

"My idea is we eliminate the use of those pesky needles!" Dr. Salt exclaimed as his image filled the screen once more. "Imagine a delivery system that simply hits its target and knocks them out in half the time! It could save so many from injury and even death!"

The video ended and the next one began automatically.

"Entry 2," the porcupine declared as his image filled the screen. "Alright so turns out the hard part wasn't getting the funding..."

The scientist paused and rubbed his temple. "Turns out my math was a little off in the first equation. Sadly the gel I used was not thick enough and simply dissolved once the chemical compound was added…"

The porcupine looked right at the camera and sighed, "But this is to be expected. I mean if it were so simple it would have been done already…right?"

The video ended and the next one began.

"Ok so now the 'skin' of the pellet is too thick. It hits the target like a rock and causes bruising but doesn't shatter and spread the Tranquilizer... plus as it turns out I have terrible aim. On a side note…all test subjects are now required to wear goggles."

The next video started.

"And cups…"

Seconds later another entry appeared on the screen.

"So as it turns out…I am not as smart as I thought I was." The Doctor admitted. There was some snickering off the screen and the mammal eyed someone out of view. "I was at a dive shop refilling one of the compressed air canisters for the experiment..."

"Which by the way you nearly broke by dragging it with the nozzle," Came a female's voice.

The porcupine rolled his eyes and then chuckled.

"As I was saying. I was at the dive shop getting them to refill an air canister when I was…harassed..."

"Approached," The female voice corrected the scientist who couldn't help but chuckle.

"Approached by a mammal who was there getting their own tank refilled."

"Refilled and checked doc, don't want it blowing me up on the field." The female added.

"Right. Well...anyways," The porcupine took in a deep breath. "Sometimes it is important to seek out help in the most unlikely of places. Turns out there is a whole sport dedicated to shooting small orbs at other mammals so you can paint them."

"Mark them with paint," the voice off screen corrected. "I mean...I could paint them. There was this cutie on the field the other day. Wouldn't have minded covering her with some..."

The voice trailed off as Dr. Salt looked over.

"Long story short," The porcupine grumbled as he grabbed the camera and turned it. "I have a new lab assistant of sorts. This is Trisha everyone."

A bright blue eyed doe was casually sitting on one of the tables in the lab. Her legs dangling over the edge as she smiled at the camera. The bunny's dark brown fur was adorned with a dark gray T-shirt with the words UCF written in black across the chest. A pair of khaki capris clung to her slender legs.

"Ello everyone!" Trisha said playfully as she waved at the camera and gave it a flirty wink.

The camera was panned back to Dr. Salt who smiled. "It's nice having-" Suddenly a pair of bright blue eyes filled the screen as Trisha hopped in front of the camera and stared into the device.

"Ello!" The bunny giggled.

A paw gently patted her on the side of the head as the porcupine shooed the bubbly bunny away.

"Well…at least it seems nice having a lab assistant," The mammal had a strained smirk on his face as the screen went blank.

Another video cued up and Dr. Salt returned to view.

"So lots 2 and 5 are looking promising. They are all well within the range I wanted them to be. Had been hoping that all lots would be viable but 2 out of 10 on a new experiment isn't too bad," The porcupine began to shuffle through some papers on the desk before him. He then rolled his eyes and lifted a sheet up, a series of fluffy clouds drawn on the top of the page along with a happily smiling sun. "Of course it's hard to keep track with a certain artist seeing the world as her canvas."

"You know you love me!" Trisha shouted from somewhere off screen, her voice sounding distant.

Dr. Salt rolled his eyes and then let out a sigh before looking back at the camera. "Might be time for a new lab assistant."

"I heard that!"

Dr. Salt winced and quickly reached over to the camera, shutting off the feed.

The next video started, this one was different, however. It was in a new part of the lab. As it turned out the lab was actually quite large. The all white room must have been broken up into sections. The section from the first few videos had been from Dr. Salt's laboratory desk. This image was of a large cleared out part of the room. Two mammals stood before the screen with their backs to the camera. Dr. Salt's quills piercing through his lab coat. Trisha was in a pair of black BDU pants and a gray top. Her ears raised as she held what looked like a rifle to her shoulder and took aim at a test dummy just down range.

There was a loud popping noise and suddenly the floor in front of the two mammals was sprayed with a bright blue liquid. Trisha shook her head as she lowered the rifle and began to inspect it. Dr. Salt took in a deep breath and began to mumble something that the camera couldn't pick up.

The video went out of frame for just a second as another video started. It was the same scene as before. Trisha, however, was now in a green shirt. The bunny took aim and fired the odd looking rifle. The same result as before but this time the spray went a little farther on the floor.

The next video had Trisha back in her gray shirt. She was rubbing Dr. Salt on the arm and smiling up at the porcupine before taking aim with the rifle once more. The two mammals were suddenly encased in a cloud of blue liquid as the rifle exploded.

Judy gasped as she watched the camera shake and tip over. The angle was odd as the camera landed on its side. The image of Dr. Salt teetering as he leaned against a table filled the screen. Trisha lay on the ground, groaning as she tried to right herself.

The next clip brought the viewer back to Dr. Salt's desk, the mammal sporting a bandage on his forehead.

"So…just having a little trouble with the delivery system..." The wounded scientist explained. "We are both alright though. Sent Trisha home for the day. Poor bunny took most of the hit when part of the barrel exploded. She will be alright though. Offered to drive her to the hospital but she insisted on just relaxing. Probably for the best, would be hard to explain all the blue paint to the nurses."

The next time Dr. Salt came on screen he looked a great deal happier. "Major breakthrough! Wish I could take all the credit but I can't!" He then leaned over and pulled Trisha into the screen. The brown bunny giggling as her ears showed a slight tinge of red. "This bunny right here. What a brilliant bunny!" Dr. Salt seemed especially giddy and even leaned down to give Trisha a peck on the head. The bunny laughed and scurried off screen. "We had a breakthrough. Big one! The delivery system is working smoothly now. See the problem was we were trying to go way too big. A rifle that could fire up to 20 rounds…too much. We needed to think smaller."

Dr. Salt lifted up a small device that Judy instantly recognized, a small gasp of air escaping her. It was the Nighthowler pistol that had been used during the missing mammal case to infect so many innocent predators.

"Once focused on the smaller side of things we were able to create a better seal. Which in turn allows more pressure to build up behind the pellet. The only problem is it can only contain about 3 rounds..." The porcupine studied the simple looking weapon and sighed, "Note to self, make sure Trisha receives some of the royalties to this. She has earned it."

The video stopped and Judy had to take a moment to look away from the screen. She felt sick to her stomach about all this. The thought that Trisha had something to do with so many problems in the city. A steady paw reached out and gently rubbed her shoulder. Judy turned back to look at Nick, his eyes full of sadness.

"We don't have to watch the rest Ya know," The fox explained as he reached over to shut the laptop. Judy stopped him and gave her fox the deadest look.

"No," Judy said firmly, "I have to see all of it..."

Nick nodded and opened another folder with more videos from Dr. Salt's studies.

"A lot of these are just his notes on a tranquilizer formula. Some of them have Trisha in them but it's just her being...well her. For the most part, she just assisted him in developing the delivery system. He was the one working on the formulas and the likes," Nick explained as he scrolled through the video files. The fox must have decided to try and save some time, instead of seeing the whole study it would be important for Judy to see the key parts.

With a few clicks, Nick started up the next video.

"So took Trisha to the range today," Dr. Salt explained. "Kind of a fun little field trip. She had a wonderful time. I can't tell what she loved more. Actually shooting or showing off to all those larger mammals."

The porcupine chuckled as he remembered the day's events, "Apparently she just has a natural talent for this stuff. I was talking to the range master and he explained he has seen this once or twice with bunnies. It's just something about their hearing and rapid eye movement. They can hear their own heartbeats and use breathing techniques to slow it down." The porcupine drifted off for a moment as he looked at his desk. He then looked right at the camera, "I never had a daughter…never had time for kids...but if I was a father. I would want my daughter to be just like Trisha. The way she views the world is so unique. How she treats every mammal she meets." The doctor took in a deep breath before rubbing his eyes, "Look at me getting all sentimental…anyways. We had fun today and I learned something about Trisha." The mammal on the screen looked over his shoulder and then back at the monitor, "Trisha has a wicked aim."

Another video started and Nick suddenly paused the video. Judy gave the fox a hesitant look.

"This one isn't important..." He mumbled as he tried to skip. "I just remembered it was after the range one."

"What's it about?" Judy asked as she looked at her fox.

"It's just a little party," Nick admitted.

Judy felt herself perk up at the thought of seeing a party with Trisha involved. Nick rolled his eyes and sighed, relenting to his bunny and allowing the next video to play.

"Happy Birthday dear John," A group of mammals sang as the video started. The camera was facing the large open space that had originally been used as a mock firing range. It had all been cleared up as several mammals stood about Dr. Salt who had an embarrassed look on his face. Trisha standing next to a lioness who held a large birthday cake for the porcupine. "Happy Birthday to you." The group finished and clapped as Dr. Salt blew out his candles.

Trisha hopped up on a stool and planted a sweet kiss on the porcupine's cheek, careful to avoid the quills.

"Happy birthday doc," She said as she gave the blushing mammal another sweet peck on the cheek.

Several mammals all gathered around the doctor, wishing him well and giving him a few small gifts. Trisha managed to slink away from the crowd and came right up to the camera and smiled.

"Happy birthday Doc! I know you are going to say that this is just supposed to be for study purposes but I wanted you to have a little video to remember all this by," Trisha said playfully. "You know when you are some big hot shot scientist with all the sexy lab ladies jumping on you." Trisha suddenly had an evil grin on her face, "Speaking of which, I hope you like your present..." With a wink, Trisha hopped from the desk and back to the party. At that moment the door to the lab opened up and several more mammals joined the party. Including a lovely looking lady porcupine in a lab coat. Trisha skipped over to the mammal and began to whisper into the porcupine's ear. A light bluish crossing her face as she looked over at Dr. Salt and giggled.

The next video started up and showed Dr. Salt sitting at his desk, a smirk on his face. "Well it's taken some time but I am confident we are almost there. We have several promising formulas to try out and a delivery system to get the formula to the target. I plan on starting mammal testing soon. Just need to find some volunteers." The porcupine thought for a moment and then chuckled, "Worse comes to worse Trisha and I can just shoot at each other."

The next video nearly caused Judy to jump back. A pair of bright blue eyes filled the screen before Trisha slowly slid back in the chair. The bunny was adorned in a lab coat that was obviously three sizes too big. This didn't deter the doe though who cleared her throat and then began to speak in a low voice, obviously impersonating her employer.

"Science science science," Trisha repeated as she began to spin on her chair before laughing. Just couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head. The small brown doe acted a little goofier in her younger years apparently but was still adorable as ever. Trisha stopped spinning in the chair and placed her arms on the desk before resting her head in her arms. "Doc…if you watch this…" Trisha took in a deep breath, "just wanted to tell you thanks for...well everything. I mean the money is great and I can probably pay off all those loans that were starting to pile up. But that's not why I wanted to say thanks. I guess it's just..." Trisha let out a sigh as she looked to the desk and then back at the camera. "You took a chance on me. When I was little not many mammals did. When I wanted to go to the shooting range with my brothers and dad I was always left behind. You know the place you took me to the other day. That was the first time I ever held a real rifle…because you trusted me. You took a chance on me and...Well..." Trisha fell silent as a pleased look crossed her lips. "Thanks, doc…I love you."

With that, the video ended. Nick finally regained control on the video files and scrolled through several more. Judy protested at first. She was starting to get a little teary eyed and wanted to see more of her best friends past but Nick said she could watch the others later, for now, there were a few more videos Judy HAD to see.

The next one popped up on the screen and Judy leaned back, wondering what other parts could have hurt Trisha's case. She was probably in trouble for helping make the device that would later be bastardized into some dangerous weapon. However, Judy had a hard time believing that would hold much weight in court. They couldn't honestly hold Trisha responsible for that though.

Judy's thoughts faded as the next video started and she felt suddenly surprised by the next image.

Dr. Salt was standing before the camera but that wasn't what caught Judy off guard. It was the handsome fox standing behind the porcupine. The predator was having a conversation with Trisha, the small brown doe sitting on a counter nearby with her paws dangling over the edge. The fox and bunny seemed to be conversing about a casual topic though as Trisha began to giggle as the fox waved his paws about.

"So it's been a long time coming but I think we are ready for mammal trials. Not a moment too soon either. As it turns out this project has eaten up a lot more time than expected and our deadline is growing closer. My employer, who still wants to remain nameless, is very eager and has thrown in a bonus incentive. So we had to cut a corner or two but sometimes you have to do that in the name of science," Dr. Salt said confidently before looking over his shoulder. The scientist then rummaged in his coat and produced a small box and popped it open, revealing an engagement ring. "Also in the name of family. Ellen and I have a date tonight and I think it's only right that the night of my biggest breakthrough is also the night my life truly begins."

The angle of the video changed with Dr. Salt taking up only part of the screen while the handsome fox whose bright yellow eyes looked right at the camera smirked.

"Now just like we said," Dr. Salt instructed.

"I would like to say that I am doing this of my own free will. I am not being forced to take part in these experiments and fully understand the risks," The fox said in a confident voice. "But also I understand this thing pays a huge amount of cash too!"

Trisha suddenly appeared on screen, her head popping from behind the fox as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. The fox let out a surprised laugh as he was suddenly used as a climbing post.

"But he is also here to be eye candy!" Trisha teased as she began to unbutton the top of the fox's shirt. The russet colored predator swatted away at Trisha's paws which caused the doe to pout and scurry away.

"Bunnies," The fox muttered as he rolled his eyes. The fox winced suddenly as a pen smacked him on the side of his head from off screen.

The next shot popped up on screen and it appeared to be multiple camera shots. One-half of the screen was filled with the three mammals busily preparing for something. The other had a yellow box and not much else.

The fox was grumbling as he began to unbutton his black shirt. Trisha letting out a few giggles as she watched from her seat on a table.

"That's right," Trisha teased, "Nice and slow now."

"Trisha..." Both Judy and Dr. Salt said in unison. Judy rolling her eyes slightly as she continued to watch the video play out.

"Tell me again Dr. Salt why is it I have to be completely shirtless?" The fox asked as he undid the last button. He had to take a step away as Trisha reached out and tried to rub the fox's fur.

"We need direct fur contact to ensure the chemical works on impact. This is kind of a full blown demonstration of this device's potential," Dr. Salt explained as he began to hook up a series of monitoring devices to the fox. "Now you will probably feel a sting from the impact but after that, the Tranquilizer will take effect and you should pass out. The area in the yellow box is actually a cushion so when you land you won't suffer any damage."

The fox had lost track of Trisha which allowed the doe to scoot closer on the table next to the predator. He let out a surprised yelp as the bunny grabbed tufts of fur and began to run her paws through the white of his belly.

"Eeeeeeee!" Trisha squealed as she rubbed the Fox's chest, the predator had a look that reminded Judy of Nick. The fox gave up trying to avoid what he knew was inevitable and simply stood there as Trisha began to scoot closer.

"Ok ok, that's enough," Dr. Salt exclaimed as Trish nuzzled into the Fox's fur slightly. To Judy's surprise, the fox chuckled and even leaned down to whisper something into the doe's ear.

Trisha's cheeks turned a bright red and she began to giggle uncontrollably. The small doe fanning herself. Judy suddenly wished the camera had a better mic so it could have picked up what had flustered the brown bunny on the screen.

"Just on the yellow box," Dr. Salt instructed as he shooed the fox across the room. As the predator left one part of the screen he appeared on the next. Turning around and placing his paws behind his back and puffing out his chest.

"You having fun?" Dr. Salt asked the doe who began to put on a pair of goggles to protect her eyes. Judy recognized them as a pair of shooting glasses normally used at shooting ranges. The fox on the screen flicked down a pair that had been resting on top of his head.

"That a problem?" Trisha asked playfully as she looked at the porcupine.

"Just didn't take you for the type is all," Dr. Salt said softly. "Not that there is anything wrong with it."

"I like to try new things doc," Trisha said as she loaded the small pellet gun with a series of blue orbs. "Who knows…he seems fun."

There was a knock at a door off screen and the two mammals looked over. Dr. Salt waved and a few seconds later another mammal appeared.

"We late to see Harry take the hit?" a deer asked as he approached Trisha and Dr. Salt.

"Just in time actually," Dr. Salt said proudly. "Couldn't hurt to have a medical professional present."

"I'm really here to watch the fox get hit." The deer teased.

"I can hear you," The fox grumbled.

"I know," The deer in a lab coat shot back as they were handed a pair of goggles which they put on.

"Everyone ready?" Dr. Salt asked as he scanned the room.

Everyone nodded and there was a sudden serious air in the room. Trisha adjusted her body and took aim at the fox. Her look was one of pure concentration as one of her ears raised up slightly.

"Live fire!" Dr. Salt announced. "3, 2, 1"

There was a small pop as a pellet burst from the barrel of the gun. It hit the fox square on the chest and covered the Fox's fur in a blue liquid. The fox let out a grunt from the impact and stood still for a moment before swaying in place.

"Sweet dreams," Trisha teased.

"Of you?" The fox mumbled as he fell to the floor.

"Good hit Trisha!" Dr. Salt explained as he hurried over to the fox now resting on the floor. The deer trotted over and studied the fox.

"He is ok right?" the deer asked. Though having made a few playful comments about the fox before it was obvious the deer was concerned for the predator.

Trisha meanwhile was clicking on a few safeties on the small device she had just used and set it down on the table. That was when things started to go wrong.

A series of rapid beeps came from the monitors nearby and an alarm chimed. The fox on. The floor began to shake at first before a full blown seizure took place.

"Oh no!" Dr. Salt shouted as he looked at the monitors and then back at the fox.

The deer ran forward and began to study the vitals. "Salt get clear of him he is seizing!"

Trisha turned as the scene played out, her look was one of our fear and panic as she ran over.

"No! No!" she screamed as tears poured from her eyes. "Harry!"

The screen went blank and Judy felt her breathing return, having held her breath during the whole ordeal. Nick reached across her and placed the mask over her mouth. Judy suddenly came back to reality and took a few deep breaths.

"What happened to him?" Judy asked as she looked over at Nick. She wanted to hear that the fox was alright, that he pulled through, or he had just had a little episode. Nick's expression gave it all away though. There would be no happy ending to these videos.

Judy took a deep breath and looked at the screen, she nodded and watched as the final video played.

Dr. Salt appeared on the screen. The porcupine looked different though. He had a tired look about him and his lab coat didn't have the same clean look it had before. When he spoke his voice sounded strained.

"So…This is probably the last log. We…we failed." The defeat in Dr. Salt's voice caused a pain to throb in Judy's heart. "Harry is in critical condition. They brought him out of the medically induced coma yesterday. The seizure led to a stroke and paralysis from the waist down. They aren't sure if he will ever walk again."

Judy gasped as she put a paw to her mouth.

"Turns out I missed something unique to predators. It's a protein problem. It has always been one. They need it to survive but…I managed to mess it all up," The porcupine explained. "If I had just taken more time…maybe I would have caught it..."

The doctor let out a sigh.

"This was all my fault," Then porcupine sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "I just wish Trisha would believe that…"

Judy felt a tear roll down her cheek as she wondered what would come next.

"One of the interns from another lab found her sobbing in the ladies locker room. She was apparently curled up in the corner of the showers, covered in cold water, crying…" the words left the porcupines lips which were quivering. "That poor sweet bunny. To have witnessed that…and I made her pull the trigger."

There were a few moments of silence before the scientist cleared his throat.

"She has returned back to her studies, focusing on being a full-time student. I convinced the mammals funding us to pay her a sizeable sum. She turned down most of it but accepted to have her student loans paid off and to take a small amount so she could focus on her studies. I just hope she forgives herself for this…it wasn't her fault. Harry asked about her. She wanted to see him but he pleaded for her not to visit…apparently he doesn't want her to see him like this. I could see his heart breaking when he told us all this...I am not sure what may have been starting to happen between them but...I am afraid I have ruined it."

Judy now understood where the gap in Trisha's history had come from. How she paid off all her loans. She also understood why she never mentioned it before.

"I have informed our benefactors of what has happened. Though I feel this is a failure one of them believes the delivery device still has potential and will be taking it into possession. I just hope the next group gets this formula right..." Dr. Salt then smiled at the screen sadly.

"In other news, I'm engaged," the porcupine smirked. "I know I shouldn't be happy but...I'm so glad to have met Trisha. She was the one to introduce us after all. Maybe after some time apart, we can all reconnect. Till then I will give her the space she needs. I just hope wherever we all end up we are happy."

The video ended and Nick closed the laptop. He moved it away quickly and prepared for what he knew was next. The fox had gotten a sixth sense when it came to Just emotions. The doe burst into tears and leaned to the side. Nick gently looped an arm around the doe and held her close. Comforting the bunny as her emotions took over.

When Judy finally calmed down she let out a soft purr as she tried to nuzzle Nick.

"So…how bad did she get it?" Judy asked, returning to their friend's sentence.

"Well, her lawyer is confident he can get rid of a lot of it through appeals...but..." Nick drew in a breath before listing off the bad news. "5 years in a minimum security facility. 1000 hours mandatory community service. When she is released she will be on probation for a year and will be fitted with an ankle tracker for 2 years. She is also now considered a felon so you can guess how hard that will be to get scrubbed clean. She will also have to go to counseling for a few months and…" Judy patted her fox in the chest and signaled for him to stop. Nick did so and looked down at his bunny who had tears in her eyes.

"Hey now it's not gonna be too bad," Nick said encouragingly. "Her lawyer said with good behavior she can probably cut a lot of that stuff in half…"

"Nick...it doesn't matter," Just whimpered. "Trisha, our Trisha will be stuck in prison…"

"I know Carrots," Nick said solemnly as he tried to find the silver lining for his doe. "I know…"

-One week later-

Delta sat awkwardly on a metal chair as he looked at the large room, his paws resting on the table before him. There were several mammals all around him. Many talking in a hushed whisper as they caught up. While some mammals had different bits of apparel on half of them all wore the same orange pants and shirt. The uniforms all having numbers on them along with ID badges hastily attached.

Delta felt a bit awkward as he looked around the room. Catching the occasional stare or scowl. The canine hadn't had time to change out of his uniform and now sat in a room full of convicts and their families while he sported his ZPD tactical gear. Normally he would have changed but he had gotten a call from the facility that Trisha was now allowed to have visitors. He had been halfway through a shift of sitting at a desk doing paperwork when he got the call. The painted dog had dropped everything and rushed over to the rainforest district minimum security facility.

He hadn't seen Trisha since the trial. Now that the sentences had been carried he was allowed to see her during visiting hours. Delta had been losing his mind over the past few weeks. He had gone to see Judy and wish her well. Spent many hours with Atom in his hospital room which was normally filled with nurses gushing over the rather oblivious canine who was just happy for the attention. Work had been a nightmare though. With Atom down Delta was forced to focus on paperwork and help his commander with office tasks. He felt like a glorified office assistant sometimes.

Today though he was excited. Excited to see Trisha. They had managed to talk for only a short while before the trial. The bunny having confessed to Delta her past before the videos came out. She had been worried that when news got out about her past that some mammals may look at her differently. She wanted to stomp out any rumors that may come out right away. Of course, there had been a moment in the conversation that was about her future with Delta. The canine just smiling at her and saying "always knew you were a bad girl, wait till the guys at work hear what my girlfriend is capable of."

The simple title was enough to cause Trisha to become both teary eyed and giddy all at once. Sadly though the moment had ended as Trisha was the whisked away for her trial.

Delta had barely heard from the bunny since then. Quick phone calls or messages passed on through a connection he had in the corrections field. Part of Trisha's sentencing required she be without visitation until the warden of the facility approved. Apparently, he just did.

As Delta tapped his paws on the table he picked up on a conversation nearby and try as he might he couldn't resist listening in.

"She just walked in and started acting like she owned the place. But…not in a hostile way. She is really sweet. She even made friends with Mrs. Jumbo…I mean...that in itself is-"

"Officer Delta?" Came a gruff voice. Delta turned to focus on the voice and noticed a warthog in a business suit standing before him. Delta had made a note to learn who the warden was before visiting the facility. He wanted to make a good impression in hopes that it reflected well on Trisha. Delta stood quickly and saluted as he brought his body into a stuff attention.

"Sir," The canine said quickly as he addressed the warden. The warthog was slightly surprised but gave the canine a Curt salute in return along with a smirk.

"I am not your commander Officer Delta," The warden chuckled. "But good to see Westpaw still keeps you lot in line."

"That she does sir," Delta said with a smile. The warden reached out and held his hoof for Delta who shook it respectfully.

"Come with me, there is has been a slight change in plans," The warden said firmly as he led the concerned looking tactical officer from the communal meeting area.

"I have to say of all my years working in the corrections field I have rarely met a mammal as unique as inmate Rose."

Delta winced hearing Trisha's name like that. A reminder of what had happened to his bunny.

"She can be somewhat intense sir," Delta apologized. "I just hope she hasn't caused you too much trouble."

"She does have a certain energy about her that is for sure," The Warden laughed. "And trust me that is a compliment."

Delta lets out a sigh of relief as he continued to walk just behind the warden. The warthog took a moment to stop in front of a picture of a lovely looking giraffe. Her red hair was slightly unkempt but her suit was immaculate.

"Our first Warden," the warthog said proudly.

Delta had to resist rubbing his eyes as he read the name of the first Warden.

"Warden Weaver?" The canine asked as he looked at the plaque just beneath the picture.

"She was a brilliant mammal," the warthog bragged. "She didn't see the prisoners as evil mammals. Just folks down on their luck in need of rescue. She started our primary rehabilitation program which has led to the release of many mammals who are now model citizens."

"Very interesting sir," Delta said softly.

"No it's not," the warthog laughed. "I just wanted to see what you would say as I stalled for her to be ready."

"What?" Delta asked sounding suddenly very confused.

"She needed a moment to get ready and I owed her a favor." The warden explained as he continued down the hallway.

"Wait…sorry warden but what?" Delta asked as he tried to process what he had just heard.

"Trisha defused a rather difficult situation the other day before my guards needed to intervene. Which is fortunate since it would have meant the mammal in question would have had to have been punished otherwise. Trisha, however, calmed things down and by the time my officers arrived the situation was and I quote 'cool' "

Delta was still somewhat confused but decided to simply follow the warden in silence the Warthog led Delta around a corner until they were In front of a large door that required a key card. The warden slid his across the reader and a large metallic lock clicked. Before opening the door the head of the facility turned to give Delta a knowing grin.

"This never happened officer Delta and it won't happen again."

With that, the warden opened the door and ushered Delta inside. The canine trotted in and looked over his shoulder at the warthog who gave him a wink before closing the door.

Delta turned just in time to see a pair of beautiful blue eyes filled his vision as Trisha propelled herself at the surprised painted dog. Her lips instantly pressed against Delta who was forced against the door due to the surprise attack. He faltered for only a moment before wrapping his paws around Trisha's slender form, feeling the warmth of her fur as she let out a moan.

Their lips parted for a moment as Trisha caught her breath, "I missed you so much, baby." The bunny then pressed her lips to deltas once more as she began to undo a strap to the canines vest.

Delta pulled away for a moment and laughed. "How the hell did you arrange this?"

"We have an hour before he comes back, you want to spend it chatting or banging? I haven't had sex in a week!" Trisha growled as she attacked the office once more.

Delta pulled away again and paused for a moment.

"A week?" The canine asked. The doe responded with a rapid nod of her head as she lifted her shirt off and tossed it to the side, using her strong legs which were wrapped around the canine's waist for support. "You have been in here for two weeks though and several months while awaiting the trial as well."

Trisha gave a weak grin as she looked at her canine. "Well there was this visiting doctor bunny from one of the local emergency rooms, she was pretty cute and quite the screamer."

Delta felt his jaw fall open. Trisha burst out laughing as she gave her Delta an evil grin. "Gotcha!"

Trisha's laughter was cut off as she was suddenly tossed across the room into a makeshift bed. The tactical officer approaching as he undid his vest. Trisha giggling as she removed the rest of her clothing.

An hour later Nick heard his phone chirp as he received a message. The fox looked down at the screen and chuckled at a text he had gotten from Delta.

"Well Trisha seems to be in good spirits," Nick muttered as he set the phone down.

Judy who was still laying in her hospital bed perked up suddenly and looked over at her fox. Nick was happy to see some of the brightness return to those beautiful purple eyes of hers.

"Really?" the bunny asked eagerly. The bunny sat and thought for a moment before speaking again. "Are you sure we can try and pull some strings? Maybe she can come visit me…or maybe if Dr. Sweet clears it I can go see her..."

Nick let out a sigh and shook his head. "You know she isn't cleared to leave the facility yet. Part of her punishment. Plus we have no way of properly transporting your medicine around just yet."

Once again Nick was the voice of reason, acting like Judy's own personal nurse. The fox had taken the time to learn everything he could about taking care of the doe. Judy and her parents were both so very grateful for the extra help. Stu had returned to the farm in order to keep an eye on the family. He hadn't wanted to at first and it was with tears in his eyes that he finally relented to his daughter and wife's wishes. Receiving a police escort by Tammy back to the Zootopia Transit Authorities main terminal. Bonnie had elected to stay in the city and keep an eye on her daughter. If not for anything but to at least give Nick a break. The matriarch having to shoo the fox away from time to time, begging him to go home and rest.

Nick was always hesitant to leave but listened to Bonnie who was always firm but loving about the whole situation.

Today was Bonnie's turn to have some time off though. She was staying at Judy and Trisha's apartment and was taking some time to get some much-needed rest.

Nick was more than happy to let Bonnie rest as he took care of Judy.

Judy let out a sigh and looked at the large tank next to her and then back to Nick. The fox picking up that his bunny may need a little attention. He walked over to the bed and gave the bunny a gentle kiss on the forehead. Judy though suddenly had other plans. She reached up and pulled the fox down by his tie. Their lips meeting for a moment before parting.

"Thanks, slick," she whispered softly.

Nick smiled and simply nodded as he leaned back down. Judy let out a pleased moan as their lips met once again. Her ears raised as she wrapped her arms around the fox's neck, bringing him closer.

The moment began to grow in intensity until Judy coughed the bunny had trouble breathing for a moment which caused Nick to pull away and scoop up the air mask. He gently placed it on Judy's face and began to take deep breaths, demonstrating what Judy needed to do. The bunny rolled her eyes but took a gulp of flowery air.

So far she hadn't had much in the way in improvements when it came to this part of her recovery. Though the rest of her was healing nicely it appeared she wouldn't be free of the air mask anytime soon.

"I'm ok Nick," Judy whispered but sighed as she put the mask down. One of the issues with this treatment is that Nick had to avoid contact with her for a minute or two. They had recently discovered that the treatment was having a slight effect on the fox. The predator showing signs of exposure which led to the precaution of avoiding Judy for a minute or two after she treated herself. So far it appeared it only affected predators. Deb, a small bunny nurse, had volunteered to be part of an experiment. After Judy had treated herself the bunny had simply sat next to Judy. She gave the officer a weak smile and couldn't resist saying something.

"Who's ready for a sponge bath?" the nurse would tease which caused Judy to snicker and try to scoot away. Judy made a mental note to introduce Trisha to Deb one day. Having a feeling the two would hit it off rather well.

After a minute or two of deep breathing, Judy signaled for Nick to come back to the bed. The fox taking a seat next to the doe as he opened up his laptop.

Judy nuzzled against the Fox's arm and breathed in his scent, letting out a pleased noise as she closed her eyes.

"Looks like someone has more fan mail," Nick muttered as he began to go through Judy's email. Besides being Judy's lovable nurse the fox had become her Secretary of sorts. After word got out about Judy's daring actions during the 10-7 fire the city flocked to support the bunny as they had after bee work on the missing mammal case. She received emails from well wishes, news groups, the occasional fan who begged to bake her some carrot cookies. Judy was grateful for all the well wishes and attention but was far too modest to let it go to her head.

Nick on the other paw constantly tried to get Judy into agreeing into accepting some homemade baked goods. Or maybe a dinner. Or better yet the new entertainment center a certain warehouse store had offered.

Judy declined it all but made sure that Nick responded to all the fan mail.

"Carrots..." Nick muttered nervously which caused the bunny to open her eyes.

"Nick?" Judy responded, reacting to the Fox's tone with a nervous one of her own.

Judy noticed the direction in which Nick was looking and gazed ahead at the computer. An email was open on the screen and the doe began to read it nervously.

 _Hey Judy,_

 _I hope this message finds you well. Well as well as you can be after being thrown into a car window. Sorry about that. Oh and sorry about the whole Night howler grenade. It was still in its test phase when I sold it but I never thought the idiots would actually bring it out in a situation like that. Things have gotten somewhat hectic for me. My services are required elsewhere. I didn't want to leave Zootopia. Things were just starting to heat up…get it? Because I torched that bar! Good times…very good times. Almost forgot I didn't manage to get a picture of all of us together. I really wanted to, I'm starting this fun little game soon. Saw it in a movie once. The picture gets all crossed out as each mammal dies and stuff. Maybe next time I'm in town we can all get together for a drink. I remember the last time we had a drink, what an explosive turn of events. I really need to stop. Anyways I hope you are recovering quickly. Don't worry about those medical bills by the way. They are all being taken care of. The least I can do, the data my sources are getting about Nighthowler effects because of your exposure is amazing. Already developing some new toys._

 _Tell Nick I said Hi!_

 _Tell Trisha I said Die!_

 _Tell that painted dog I shot I owe him a new Pawaiian shirt._

 _Love,_

 _Tucker._

 _P.S. I go by Tucker now._

Judy finished reading the email, her ears starting to droop. After all, she had been through Jim…Tucker had managed to escape. It wasn't fair. She had worked so very hard and sacrificed so much. They all had, and now the villain would get away.

Nick gently looped an arm around Judy and squeezed the bunny close, having read the same email.

"We will get him next time Carrots," Nick whispered as he gently kissed Judy on the forehead. "Besides once word gets out he is the one who shot Atom, I think the whole city will be on his tail."

Judy snorted at the comment and agreed. Tucker could do all he wanted to her. Touch a sweet hair on Atom's head however and all bets were off.

Over time Judy's mood had changed from one of solemn defeat to positive hope. The old Judy Hopps returning thanks to a certain fox. Oh and a certain painted dog. Atom never failed to come and visit Judy. He was ecstatic when he heard she was well enough for hugs. The dog would arrive, hobbling on a cane which helped him get around. Delta always berating the other dog for going too quickly or being too brash. Atom however ignored his friend and would waddle over, a large open mouth grin on his face as his bright yellow eyes narrowed in on Judy. The doe absolutely loving the affection and giving off squeaks of excitement whenever Atom looped a gentle arm around her. Nick would always have an annoyed look on his face though. Not out of jealousy mind you. Simply because he knew what was coming next. The painted dog would always release Judy and then turn to the fox, an equally excited look on his face as he chased the fox around the room, one arm outstretched, trying to bring the smaller canine in for a hug. Delta would always step in and help Atom. Whether it be by getting in Nick's way or grabbing the fox and dragging him over to the wounded African dog.

Judy enjoyed watching as her fox would be wrapped up in a hug. She would sometimes pout and give Atom a jealous look which had him limping over to her side once more, bringing her back into a hug. The silliness with Atom didn't stop there, however. He would sometimes show up unbeknownst to the hospital staff and sneak in pints of ice cream for Judy. The two would sit on her bed and watch cheesy hospital TV and munch away at the sweet treats. Nick actually welcomed the distraction and would sometimes sneak off to run an errand or two. Judy had a sneaking suspicion that the fox was concerned with leaving Judy alone for extended periods of time. One because Jim/Tucker was still at large. Two because as a doe she could sometimes get a little emotional. Three because he was an over protective boyfriend which she absolutely adored him. The fox continuing to baby the bunny as if she was some injured prey…which in fairness she still was.

It wasn't long before Judy was cleared to leave the hospital. A breakthrough had been made and a new form of Nighthowler treatment was made for Judy. In the end, it was just the right amount of the dangerous flower mixed in with some other chemicals Judy had a hard time pronouncing. The big issue had been they couldn't just give Judy straight Nighthowler the rest of her life. They needed a way to slowly wean the doe of the drug. Dr. Sweet was confident they had done just that thanks in part to Dr. Badger. Though her legs were no longer in a cast she was still required to be wheeled out of the hospital and lifted into a vehicle to take her home. Judy wasn't the only one cast free. During her stay at the hospital, Nick finally healed up and had his removed. The fox would occasionally have to leave Judy's side and go in for some physical therapy. The doctors said that since he had remained so active through his time in the cast that he shouldn't have too hard of a time gaining back all his muscle memory.

It was a rather emotional day when Judy was finally wheeled out of the Sahara Regional Hospital. Waiting outside for her was a small army of mammals. Members of the ZPD, ZFD, and ZMS were all waiting to cheer for the bunny. Along with members of the public and even a few representatives from city hall. All of them had come out to give the small bunny some encouragement. Nick stood behind Judy as he pushed the wheelchair. Bonnie walking just beside Judy, holding one of the doe's paw in a loving manner.

Roars and cheers filled the air as mammals all leaned in to give Judy some encouraging words.

"We love you, Judy!"

"Way to go Hopps!"

"You kick ass bun!"

"You are stone cold!"

"You ticketed my car and I was only 30 seconds late!"

The last one was soon silenced as an angry antelope was pushed behind the crowd of adoring fans.

Waiting at the edge of the sidewalk stood Bogo. A broad smile on his face. Next, to him, a lovely looking cheetah beamed and waved at Judy who eagerly waved back. Bogo chuckled at his god daughters antics and gave Angie a kind look before turning his gaze back to Judy.

The crowd was still rather loud but Bogo's voice managed to carry over rather well. "Hopps, I came down her personally for two reasons." The Cape buffalo began to explain.

"I missed seeing you too chief," Nick said playfully.

"Three reasons," Bogo corrected himself which caused Judy to laugh.

"One to see you out of the hospital and wish you well." The chief began to say which caused a tear to form in Judy's eye. "Two to give you the order in person to stay home and rest. I know you Hopps and I am here by denying your request to return to work early. I need you rested and mended. That's an order!"

"What was the third one, sir?" Nick asked, already knowing what was coming.

"Wilde you are a pain in my ass!"

With that, the large mammal stepped to the side and opened the door to a waiting truck. The ZPD had spared an unmarked to drive Judy back to her apartment. With some maneuvering, they managed to load Judy into the truck. The doe blushing as her fox lifted her up bridal style and gently placed her in the vehicle. Nick being the perfect gentle mammal stepped to the side and helped Bonnie in as well before heading to the front passenger seat.

"Wilde!" Bogo shouted, catching the fox's attention. "Take care of her. Or I take care of you."

"Such a concerned leader," Nick shot back before closing the door and signaling for Tammy who had happily volunteered to play driver to take them all home.

As the days turned to weeks Judy started to show signs of making a complete recovery. To the point, they managed to finally convince Bonnie she could return to Bunny Burrow and her husband who sent constant messages asking questions relating to taking care of the many kits still living on the farm. It had been a miracle Stu had survived as long as he had. Judy had a feeling her many sisters had stepped up when it came to taking care of the younger kits though.

"Well if you are sure," Bonnie said softly over dinner one night.

"Mom I am fine," Judy said as she reached over and squeezed her mother's paw. "We are so grateful that you have stayed here but it isn't fair to dad and the others."

Bonnie wasn't fully convinced but after some smooth talking from a certain silver tongued fox the bunny decided to listen to her daughter and made arrangements to return back to her rather desperate sounding husband in Bunny Burrows.

Benny showed up the next day to take Bonnie to the train station in the city center. The bunny thanking Clawhauser constantly only to have a flabby paw pat her on the shoulder.

"Pu-lease mommy Hopps. I am more than happy to," The large cheetah explained. "Anything for one of my favorite bunnies. Plus we have so much to catch up on!"

"Try not to reveal any more ZPD secrets there Benji," Nick teased as he brought over Bonnie's bag for the cheetah. Judy stood in the apartment and watched as the three mammals chatted for a moment. All of them seemed to be in high spirits which in turn made Judy hopeful for better days.

Bonnie excused herself from the others and walked over to her daughter, wrapping her arms around Judy in a loving hug. Judy had wanted to go with her mother to the train station but Bonnie wouldn't hear of it. Saying that Judy needed to stay home and rest, every second she rested was a second closer to recovery in Bonnie's mind.

"You call me if you need anything," She whispered as she gave Judy a kiss on the cheek. Judy nuzzled into the kiss and purred as she held her mother close.

"I will mom, thank you so much for coming to take care of me again," Judy whispered, feeling guilty at just how often she needed her mother in the city.

"I am your mother Judy," Bonnie said as she pulled away from the hug but held one of Judy's paws, "I will always be there to come and take care of you."

Bonnie wiped the tears from Judy's eyes and gave her daughter a kiss on the nose. "You send Trisha our love. Oh and those painted dogs as well. They were so sweet."

"Yes mom," Judy said as she watched her mother stroll back towards the front door.

Nick leaned down without instruction and gave Bonnie a gentle hug, knowing full well it was not only expected but now required. Bonnie said a few kind words to the fox, constantly thanking him for everything he had done for them. With that she walked out the door, Benny reaching out and holding her paw as he led her out of the apartment.

Nick closed the door and smiled as he stretched his arms up into the air before letting them fall to his side. Judy smiled at her fox and watched as he strolled over. The predator put a paw on of Judy's shoulders and leaned close. Judy closed her eyes and gently nuzzled her head under Nick's chin which caused the fox to rub his head between the bunny's ears.

"So how about a movie roomie?" Nick asked as he stifled a yawn.

"How are you tired already?" Judy asked with a giggle, "It's not even midday yet."

"Well I have been sleeping on the couch this whole stay," Nick pointed out.

The past couple of days had been a bit odd when it came to sleeping arrangements in Judy and Trisha's apartment. Bonnie and Judy had shared her large bed no problem. Nick, however, didn't want to use Trisha's room. Treating it like some kind of sacred shrine…or maybe a cursed temple. Either way, the fox had taken up residence on the couch which while very comfortable didn't replace a bed when it came to getting a good night sleep. Nick staying with Judy also looked like a somewhat extended idea as well. With Trisha in jail, all the bunny's assets had been seized. Which meant Judy was paying for the apartment on her own. Nick, however, stepped in and helped with the rent. Though he hadn't moved in fully just yet Judy was hoping it was just a matter of time. The thought of them sharing an apartment was new and hadn't been fully discussed. However Bonnie had let slip about maybe when Trisha got out of jail they could find a three bedroom apartment so all three of them could live together. Nick making a joke about the trouble of living with a dangerous mammal like Trisha.

"How about a little nap then," Judy suggested as she looked up into the bright emerald eyes of her fox.

"Couch?" Nick asked.

Judy smirked and shook her head, her ears flopping about in a playful manner.

Nick picked up on Judy's mood and gave her a knowing grin. "Just a nap."

"I mean, unless we can think of something else," Judy grinned.

"Just a nap," Nick instructed as he picked Judy up and carried her off to the bedroom...

"Well I haven't done any stretching yet today and the doctor said I may need to get my heart rate up somehow."

"Just a nap."

They didn't take a nap. In fact, they didn't take a nap several times that day.

-A few weeks later-

Judy, Nick, and Delta all stood beside an idling ZPD tactical SUV in a parking lot on the outskirts of the Rainforest minimum security facility. All of them had an eager look on their faces as they looked at a large gate in front of them. Well, maybe Nick didn't look too eager.

"How is it she is getting out so soon?" Nick grumbled once more.

Judy gave the predator a look which caused him to step to the side, knowing that if he remained close to Judy at the moment he was at risk of a quick jab in the side.

"The cell phone that Jim gave her to relay instructions during the concert," Delta began without looking away from the open gate. "Apparently they had a major breakthrough. Something about sand inside it from where a chip had been installed. Led to a major bust of a Nighthowler storage area. Trisha's lawyer found out and made a case that since Trisha had pawed over the cell phone without any struggle it had allowed that piece of evidence to remain intact which lead to the bust."

"That's a stretch don't ya think," Nick grumbled only to yelp as Judy poked him in the side.

"You want her to stay in there?" Judy growled.

Nick looked down at his bunny. The fox knew better and decided to just shake his head. He was teasing of course. He was just as excited to know that thanks to a rather skilled lawyer and a great deal of good behavior Trisha's jail time had been severely reduced. The brown bunny still had a lot when it came to her sentence. Tons our hours of community service, probation, tracking, house arrest, and so on. Though Trisha was about to leave jail she still had a long road till she was completely free.

"How has she been Delta?" Judy asked as she looked to her other side. The painted dog smiled down at Judy.

"She has been strong," the canine replied. "Constantly asking about you and Nick. Atom and I came to visit her again the other day."

"Wish she had let me visit," Judy grumbled.

Trisha and Judy had only talked a few times since the bunny had been incarcerated. Judy pleading to come and visit Trisha. The brown bunny though begged Judy not to. Trisha not wanting Judy to see her like this. It was difficult but Judy followed Trisha's wishes. Staying away from the facility but sending cards and little gifts for encouragement. Apparently, only Delta and Atom had been the only ones allowed to visit. The bunny trusting the two canines but it was also probably because she missed her boyfriend and some sweet attention from Atom. Her friends from the 10-7 had even been asked to stay away which Judy had a feeling devastated the crew from the bar.

Of course, they had all been busy. The bar burning down had been a major shock to everyone. It turned out the bar wasn't just some building to get drunk in but a place of refuge for the first responders. Its destruction had been felt throughout the city. Echo, however, stepped up and gave words of encouragement when asked about the bar. She reminded many mammals of her time as a firefighter. She had seen horrific fires take buildings away. It wasn't her job to save buildings though. It was her job to save lives. A building is just a structure, after all, it's the mammals inside it that give it purpose.

Echo worked quickly. The insurance covered a large chunk of the cost when it came to reconstruction but it didn't cover everything. She pulled what strings she had and managed to get a loan for the business. It wasn't too hard, one or two banks jumped at the opportunity. Seeing it as a chance for bragging rights and good PR saying they helped restore a bar dedicated to heroes of the city.

In no time at all a new bar had been built on the ashes of the old. It was larger, cleaner, and somehow remained hidden from the rest of the public. Some mammals had just suggested that Echo buy out an old firehouse or maybe an old precinct in another part of the city. The painted dog reminded everyone though, "Do you really want to drink in a place that looks like your work?" To which everyone agreed they were drinking to forget about work and this would be counterproductive. So the bar remained where it always had been, just with a second story on top.

"Well just give it another minute," Delta teased as he gave Judy a wink.

There was movement at the gate and a strong looking pig came running out of the facility. The three members of the ZPD tensed up slightly but the pig waved his hooves about and just smiled. He came to a halt just in front of the SUV and eyed the odd looking group. When his eyes came upon Judy they widened.

"You really are her…"The guard mumbled.

"See, what did I say, it's always Judy the hero," Nick grumbled as he crossed his arms.

"Get the same thing with Atom dude," Delta pointed out.

The pig shook his head for a minute and then looked at Delta, "She said she isn't coming out until you do the thing."

Delta groaned and rolled his eyes. "I am not doing that, it's just cheesy."

"She said you might say something like that," The guard began with a chuckle. "And if you did say that I was told to tell you that if you don't do it she will come out here and…now I am just quoting her on this but 'I will drag Judy into the back of that SUV and you two canines can just enjoy your time in the dog house.' "

Nick's eyes went wide as Judy blushed. Trisha managing to prove that she still knew how to get everyone flustered.

"Do the thing Delta!" Nick barked. "Do the thing!"

Delta quickly fumbled for his keys and unlocked the SUV. He then began to mess with his cell phone which he plugged into a console on the dash. He flicked through his phone and let out a loud sigh.

"The things I do for this bunny," the painted dog griped as he flipped a switch and then pressed a button on his phone.

The trucks PA system came to life and began to play a series of beats. Judy instantly recognized it as _Bad to the bone_ by George Thoorbred.

"No way…" Nick said as he looked at the painted dog.

Delta rolled his eyes and had to shout over the blasting music, "She said this is how she would want to exit prison!"

Judy burst out laughing but suddenly fell silent as she saw the one they came for.

Trisha came strutting around the corner from the guard gate flanked by two prison guards, each of them holding a large shotgun.

"Oh come on is that necessary?" Delta asked, commenting on the weapons. Feeling the guards were getting a little too overzealous.

"They are bean bag guns, we never bring them out…but she wanted them to," The guard explained which caused Delta to just burst out laughing. "We don't normally send two guards out for a release either. She is technically just supposed to walk out and meet you all.

"Gods I love her," Delta shouted over the music.

As the song continued to play Judy watched as her best friend strutted over. She took note at just how much Trisha's hips seem to sway. The bunny was in a white T-shirt and jeans, a jean jacket tossed over her shoulder as she looked ahead through a pair of large patrol glasses. She had a tooth pick in her mouth and an evil grin on those luscious lips of hers.

"She has watched way too many movies," Nick piped up.

The two guards on either side of Trisha stopped and simply watched the bunny strut away, both of them had amused looks on their faces.

Before Trisha could make it all the way to the SUV though she was stopped by Judy, who couldn't wait any longer. The gray bunny darting towards her friend. Trisha dropped the jacket to the ground and spat out her tooth pick as she ran to meet Judy. The two embracing one another in a rather tight hug. Trisha nuzzling into Judy's neck.

"Ok, think that's enough of the music," Nick yelled as Delta leaned into the truck and flipped the sound system off.

Everyone stood and watched the two bunnies as they stood in the parking lot. Their arms holding one another tight as they just stood still. Judy took in a deep breath, shivering at the familiar scent of her friend.

"I missed you so much," Judy whispered.

"I missed you more," Trisha returned as she gave Judy a kiss on the cheek.

After what felt like hours the two finally parted. Trisha looking into Judy's purple eyes only to pull the bunny back in for a hug.

"We have it from here sir, they might be a while," Delta said to the prison guard as he held out a paw. The guard shook the canine's paw but had a nervous look on his face.

"Um…those are my sunglasses though..." The guard said hesitantly.

"Trisha!" Delta barked. The brown bunny looking up from Judy for a moment. "Give him back his shades so we can go!"

The pig gasped in shock as he watched his sunglasses fly through the air, only to land perfectly on his head.

"Thanks, Buck! It really added to the effect," Trisha said as she went back to cuddling with Judy.

"How…how does?" The pig stuttered as he pulled the sunglasses from his head and looked at them in disbelieve.

"You should see what she can do with coasters," Nick pointed out, only to have the denim jacket land right on his head. "Really?"

The reunion was a little bit teary eyed. While Trisha and Delta had seen each other during her incarceration they still shared a rather passionate embrace. The bunny and canine not hiding anything as the painted dog placed his paws on Trisha's rump while the bunny wrapped her legs around his waist. It took Nick coughing rather loudly to finally get the two attention. Something he regretted when a pair of blue eyes fell on him. For the first time ever he didn't try to run or fight it. He simply held his arms open and smiled as the small brown bunny collided with him. Nuzzling into his chest at first but finally planting a small peck on the fox's cheek.

"Thanks for everything," Trisha whispered sweetly to Nick who simply nodded.

Now that the canines had received some affection Trisha turned her attention to Judy but was surprised when the small gray bunny attacked, wrapping Trisha up in a strong hug. The two nuzzling into one another for a moment or two.

"I missed you so much," Judy said, her voice muffled as she began to cry into Trisha's shoulder. The brown bunny tried her best but soon let tears of joy roll down her own cheek as she held her best friend close.

"I missed you too cutie," Trisha whispered in return. The moment was interrupted by Trisha's stomach which growled, causing Judy to take a step back and grin at her friend.

"Do I really need to tell you all how much I have missed real food?" Trisha asked with a grin. Everyone shared a laugh as they piled into the SUV. Nick and Delta sharing the front section, letting the does have the backseat where they could sit and talk to one another. Both the canines knowing the girls would want to catch up.

As Trisha closed the door behind her Judy took notice of a small device on Trisha's ankle. It was obviously a tracking device which was part of Trisha's sentence. The brown bunny gave her friend a weak grin. "They put it on this morning since I was leaving. It is actually the top of the line apparently. I can take very…" Trisha paused and leaned forward to the front seat section, looking at her painted dog. "Very! Long showers."

"Good to hear," Delta grinned.

Trisha leaned back and gave Judy a playful wink before scooting a little closer.

"Bet you were glad when the casts came off right? Both of your furs is looking extra…shampooed," she asked as she gave Judy a seductive look. "Because I have a feeling a certain fox doesn't mind long shower."

"You have no idea," Judy said sadly, her ears drooping before a mischievous grin crossed her lips. "I made sure we didn't do it in your room though, but the rest of the apartment has been done."

"Hopps!" Trisha squealed excitedly as she tried to stifle a laugh.

"Especially the kitchen table," Judy added.

Trisha completely lost it and burst out laughing, nuzzling her forehead against Judy's. The gray doe leaning close to her friend. The two bunnies love having one another back in their lives. It was apparent from the tones, touches, and constant gossiping on the drive.

"Sorry I didn't get to sign your casts," Trisha mumbled as she examined Judy's arm.

"Well," Judy began as she blushed.

"No one did! She wanted to wait for a certain someone!" Nick pointed out from the front seat.

Trisha's eyes brightened as tears began to form. Judy simply smirked and nodded.

"It just wouldn't be the same," Judy explained "however someone did sign my cast actually," Judy tilted her arm slightly and pointed to a spot where the cast had covered. "Atom drew a hug button on my cast" Trisha giggled at Judy as she looked at the gray fur on her arm. "It was a button that whenever I wanted a hug I press and I got a hug."

"Really?" Trisha asked.

Judy nodded her head and pressed the spot where the button. Trisha instantly wrapped her arms around Judy who let out a surprised squeak.

"Looks like the button still works!" Trisha teased.

"Oh gosh…even I may get sick," Delta gagged from the driver seat.

"At least you don't have to live with them," Nick pointed out.

"You poor soul," Delta said in return, the two canines had actually become close friends over the past few weeks and it showed in their banter with one another.

"Speaking of which," Trisha said as she looked out the window and then to the front seat. "Aren't we heading home? I have to…umm...call my parole officer and I am not allowed to leave the confines of my apartment."

Judy noticed the embarrassment in the doe's voice and gently rubbed Trisha's back in a show of support. She still felt terrible for what Trisha had to go through. Even though she was forced into the situation she still had to take the punishment. Tucker's plan may have failed but in the end, a life was ruined, well almost ruined.

"About that," Nick said with a wicked smirk as he looked at Delta who nodded.

"What?" Trisha asked as her ears raised up, looking back at Judy who had an equally curious look on her face.

"Well, we managed to pull some strings. You need employment after all and we made a few phone calls."

"Really?" Trisha asked, sounding both excited but nervous. She hadn't managed to get a hold of echo during her time locked up and could only assume she had been let go from the 10-7. She had heard it was rebuilt but other than that she hadn't heard anything from her former place of work.

"Yes and I have an old friend looking for someone with your talents, so we made a call to your parole officer who was more than happy to clear you for a couple hours interview." As the fox explained everything Delta turned down a familiar street in the central district of Zootopia.

Nick then pulled out his phone and began to type a message out, sending it away in silence as he did his best not to look back, knowing full well if he did a certain brown doe would probably try to get information out of him.

Trisha slouched back in her seat and felt rather nervous all of the sudden and it showed. Judy fell back in her seat and rested her head on the bunny's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Judy asked softly.

"I am definitely not dressed for an interview," Trisha said as she looked down at her outfit. The two does burst out laughing.

A few minutes later the turned down another familiar road and Trisha sat up in her seat. Delta made another turn which caused Trisha to sit up, even more, her wars raising.

"No…" Trisha whispered.

Another turn had Trisha shaking, "no way…nick…delta! No way!"

The two smug looking canines in the front seat glanced at one another and then straight ahead. Just began to pick up on where they were and she felt excitement course through her. They made one last turn.

The 10-7 looked amazing. It was newly brick covered building with a pair of large black doors that looked like they could let several elephants through at once. Instead of a neon sign, a large set of white numbers were now painted about the door. 10-7 was painted on the brick in an industrial sort of way.

Trisha burst into tears at the sight. It wasn't just the building though, but the mammals that all stood out front of the bar. As Delta pulled the truck to a stop in front of the bar Trisha put her face into Judy's shoulders and began to some with tears of joy.

"They are waiting for you," Delta cooed as he shut the vehicle off. Nick and Delta exited the vehicle and waited outside.

"I don't deserve this," Trisha said as she looked up from Judy's shoulder and out the window to several excited looking mammals.

"Yes you do," Judy said sweetly as she placed her pass on either side of Trisha's cheek and rubbed the tears away. She then leaned close and gave Trisha a gentle kiss on the forehead. "Let's go see if they are hiring."

Trisha and Judy exited the SUV and Trisha had to do her best to maintain her composite. Standing in front of the bar were all her friends. Em was standing at the front with a help wanted sign in her paws. Try as she might the otter couldn't wait and tossed the sign to the side, running to Trisha with tears in her eyes. Trisha ran forward and met the otter, the two holding onto one another as if their lives depended on it.

There wasn't a dry eye in the bunch. Even Nick tried to hide it but Judy noticed the fox running the corner of his eyes occasionally.

Judy watched as her friend was embraced by the mammals of the 10-7. She laughed when Petey lifted Trisha into the air and twirled her around. The brown bunny laughing loudly. Petey set Trisha down in front of another mammal which caused the bunny to freeze and look suddenly nervous.

Echo stood before Trisha with a sly smirk.

"So tell me, what experience do you have working in a bar?" The painted dog asked. Trisha burst into laughter as she jumped into her boss's arms and hugged Echo.

After a few seconds Echo set Trisha down and smiled.

"I am not too sure," She teased. "The last bunny I hired burn down my bar and turned out to be a wanted criminal."

There was a roar of laughter from the mammals present. Trisha however blushed and kicked the ground.

"In fairness, I didn't burn the bar down, that was a different bunny."

This was met by another round of laughter. Echo however smiled and pulled a shirt that had been rolled up in her back pocket. She tossed it to Trisha and Judy recognized it as the shirt Trisha normally wore when working at the bar.

"Welcome back to the 10-7," the painted dog said with a chuckle. "Now get in there and start serving, we have a packed house."

"Wait. What?" Trisha asked as she looked ahead at the large doors. Petey strolled over to one door as Echo took the other. They pulled open the large doors to reveal the inside of the bar which had another group of mammals. All of them in ZPD blue. There was a loud cheer and soon the members of the ZPD present we're all chanting Trisha's name.

Upon entering the bar Judy noticed what had changed. The inside looked the same for the most part but a great deal cleaner the walls were now split a polished wood that gave off a cozy but modern feel running along the bottom of the wall while the upper part was a dark crisp blue which helped give off a more modern feel. The walls which used to be adorned with different pictures from across the cities first responders were absent. Most likely lost in the fire. Several large screens were spread on the walls. Each one filled with an image of the different flags that represented the different branches of the Zootopia first responders. The actual flags of the departments hung exactly where Judy remembered them, along with several light bars which would normally be on top of a squad car.

Judy did, however, notice a set of large metal stairs at the far end of the large room. She would learn later the bar actually had two floors. Judy was curious to see what was upstairs but decided she would probably learn later from one of the Barkeeps.

As Nick and Judy weaved through the crowd they were greeted by many of their friends from the ZPD who all gushed over Judy and gave Nick warm welcome. Trisha had disappeared in the crowd but Judy had a feeling she would awesome her friend later. It seemed many of the officers Judy and Nick were close to were present. Clawhauser, Tammy, Lylah, even Bogo had taken time to come out and welcome Trisha back.

Judy was given quite the surprise as she was suddenly lifted up from behind, a familiar sniffing noise filling her wars as she heard Atom sniff the does scent and then nuzzle her happily.

"Atom!" Judy squeaked happily. "I didn't even have to push the hug button!"

After a few minutes of getting settled Judy and Nick were both suddenly ushered towards the main bar by Em who had been looking for them. Judy was a little confused as to what was happening.

Standing next to a large screen stood echo and Trisha. The brown bunny back in her 19-7 blue shirt. Unlike her normal one however her stomach was covered, Judy felt like that needed to get changed later.

Echo raised a paw and a hush came over the crowd. "As you all have noticed the walls of the bar a little bare these days."

Several mammals all nodded in agreement, the walls looking off without all the different pictures and pieces of memorabilia.

"I ask you all if you have any pictures, medals, patches, anything please bring it in and I can hang them up so we can make this place look like home again." The painted dog instructed. "In the mean time, I have two pictures to put on the wall."

Echo then looked right at Judy and Nick and smiled. The screen next to echo came to life and showed a picture of Nick and Judy at Nick's graduation. Nick with a smug grin and Judy with a bright smile. The pair looked rather nice in their dress blues. Underneath the picture was a line of text, "Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, ZPD, Missing Mammals case."

Everyone cheered for the pair. Judy blushing as she looked at the image. She then noticed Trisha holding up the picture in a frame. She hopped up on a chair and put the picture on a nail next to the large screen. Judy felt a swelling of pride when she realized it was Nick and hers picture that would be the first one hung up in the new bar.

"Next one!" echo shouted. The next picture appeared on screen and suddenly Judy felt she may die from embarrassment. The picture was of Judy strapped to a chair inside the tunnel of Love. Nick standing over her, his paws to on her cheeks as he pulled her close, their lips pressed against one another. Judy recognized it as the picture Delta took when Judy and Nick thought they would be killed by an explosion. In the end, it had been a trick but the painted dog had neglected to mention that till after he got the picture.

A few cheers and whistles echoed through the bar. Judy pulled her ears over her face and giggled. When she did take a peek she saw Trisha beaming at the bunny, giving her a wink. Underneath the picture was some text, "Officer Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde, ZPD, Nighthowler Case 2."

After the embarrassment wore off Nick and Judy managed to travel through the bar, shaking paws and receiving words of congratulations.

Judy noticed Nick was leading the doe to a particular part of the bar. It confused her when they reached a small table to a corner of the bar. Nick pulling the chair out for Judy before taking a seat across from her. His smug smirk told her something was up.

"What?" Judy asked her fox as she leaned back in her seat.

"You remember this table?" Nick asked as he gazed at the bunny, his emerald eyes full of warmth.

Just blushed as she suddenly realized where they were sitting and gently ran a paw over the table.

"Our first date..." she whispered. "Or at least I thought it was."

"Let's just say it was," Nick laughed. "And cue the crazy monster."

Trisha came bouncing up, her smile bright and her eyes brighter.

"So, what can I get you two?" she asked, sounding ecstatic to be asking them for a simple drink order.

"Surprise me," Judy said, remembering how much she loved Trisha's surprise drinks.

"The regular," Nick said to Trisha.

"The regular?"

"AA is for quitters," Nick teased, quoting himself from their first date.

"Wish you would quit," Trisha teased. Before the doe could skip away Nick grabbed the bunny's paw which caused Trisha to turn and smile at the fox.

"Welcome back Trisha," the fox said simply and nodded.

Trisha beamed as a tear rolled down her cheek. She nodded and then skipped away.

Judy let out a sigh as she looked around at all her fellow officers enjoying a well-deserved drink. She then looked at Nick who smiled at her.

"I remember I didn't stay in this seat for very long on our date," Judy pointed out. Nick taking the hint and scooting his chair back a little. Judy hopped from the seat and trotted over to the other side of the table and climbed up onto the Fox's lap, nuzzling into her fluffy partner. Nick wrapped his arms around Judy and kissed her forehead gently.

"You know," Judy whispered, "there was a certain something I was hoping would happen on our first date."

"Really now, do tell Carrots," Nick chuckled.

"How about I show you?" Judy whispered as she looked up at her fox. The doe didn't have to lean up that far as Nick came to meet her. Their lips gently pressing against one another in a passionate yet sweet kiss.

Judy felt Nick pull her closer and she let out a soft purr into the kiss. All the emotions she had gone through that day suddenly caught up and she felt herself shake. Judy pulled herself from the kiss and looked away as she let out a cough. Nick loosened his grip on Judy and began to rummage in his pocket for a small inhaler that had been made for Judy if she ever needed a shot of Nighthowler.

Trisha returned with the drinks in time to see Judy puffing some flowered scented air from the device. The brown bunny tilted her head slightly in concern.

"You okay cutie?" The bartender asked as she reached out and rubbed Judy's shoulder. Nick did his best to avoid breathing in any of the Nighthowler and sat back as Judy leaned forward. The fox reached out and rubbed Judy's back.

"Carrots just needed a puff of her medicine is all," Nick explained.

"I didn't know you had asthma," Trisha cooed as she looked at Judy.

Judy let out a weak smile.

"I don't," The bunny said weakly.

"Then what is in the inhaler?" Trisha asked curiously.

"Midnicampum holicithias," Judy said with a sigh.

Trisha's eyes widened as she looked at Nick.

Judy began to feel the medicine take effect and closed her eyes as she curled up with her fox. The vulpine smiling as he kept his bunny close. Nick then looked over at Trisha and smiled, "We just call them Night howlers."

-The End-

* * *

 **A/N for chapter:**

 **It's done! Thank goodness this thing is done! Oh gosh I can't tell you how glad I am that this story is finally coming to a close.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this final chapter for** _ **Nighthowlers.**_ **Sorry if it was a long one. Not sorry how it ended though. This plot has been changed around a few times but this was the ending I planned all along. Yes even the bits with Trisha totally kicking butt, the bar burning down, and Jim…sorry Tucker..getting away. Will there be a sequel? Who knows? This story was my first one ever. The first time I even tried something like this. It has turned out to be one crazy learning experience. What did I learn? To stick with AUs. Firewatch will be getting more attention now and I have plans for a fun future AU I hope to start in the near future.**

 **Hope you enjoyed this fluffy finale for NH.**

 **Credits:**

 _ **OceRydia:**_ **Thank you for the wonderful cover pic you made for this story. I am so glad to have artwork by you right now so one day in the future I can brag and show others that I have work byu the famous OceRydia! You are an amazing artist and I can't wait to see what you draw up next!**

 _ **Floreloyx**_ **: My first biggest fan! You stuck through it all. Every chapter. I sought advice from you and you happily gave it while encouraging me to keep pushing forward. I can't tell you how happy I am to know someone like you and to have you follow my stories. I wish you luck on your own stories. In the real world I wish you luck with everything. Thanks for being a follower and a friend.**

 _ **Cimar of Turalis WildeHopps:**_ **Cimar you have done so much for this fandom that it would take another 20k words to cover it all. You arranged the Collab which in the end created a crazy new story for me. You offered words of wisdom during those harder times. You taught me to keep writing and just enjoy the work and not the words of others. I like to think I am an ok writer. Through your constant campaigning though I have managed to get more readers than I ever thought I could get or deserved. Thanks for helping me make a name for myself. Also thanks for the Pinecone channel. :P**

 _ **Fox in the hen house:**_ **Alright dude, I will try to not get too mushy on this one. You have been my best friend through all of this. I remember sending you that message mentioning how I loved your work and wanted to mention you in my story only to have you say that's what you planned for your next chapter. Message after message till we hit that 3k mark and ended up on discord together. You have been so instrumental in the creation of my works. All the good stuff is because you helped me and guided me to a better story. I look forward to your future works, to many new chapters, but most of all to our continued crazy conversations about utter nonsense that lead to amusing works. Thank you for being there for me through it all you foxy stallion you.**

 _ **Everyone else:**_ **There are of course many others I want to thank. You know who you are and you should know I am grateful for knowing you. For those of you who stuck through the madness of my first story. While I continued to figure out where to go and of course through all the silliness of me messing with shippers and the likes. The positive reviews on here have helped spur me forward and focus on creating more and more content. I appreciate all the support and hope I made a story worthy of such devotion. I look forward to writing more crazy stuff for you all in the future. For now though: Thank you all!**

 **And for those of you who stuck around through the credits I ask you this: What's the one thing you never do at a Marvel movie? Leave before the credits are done….enjoy.**

* * *

Nick felt his stomach begin to knot as he rested on one knee. He knew it was cheesy but so was his bunny so he had decided to just go all out. He blinked a few times, looking at the ground for a moment. It was actually kind of cute to the bunny currently sitting before the fox. To see the famously smug and confident Nick Wilde nervous. It was a sight to behold that was for sure.

"Judy I normally have some kind of plan," Nick began as he looked up at the doe before him. His bright emerald eyes shimmering.

"I always have some kind of trick up my sleeve or a way to get out of a bad situation. But when I'm with you…all I see is one thing. Us. There is no big scheme or some kind of epic future being plotted in my mind when I'm with you. It's because I'm just so focused on the now. Every moment with you is something I cherish. Every second that passes is one I want to last forever. Every minute is just so wonderful because I have you."

The fox took a deep breath and then smiled as he slowly pulled a small box from his pocket.

"I made you wait, which was one of the dumbest things I could ever do. I did it because I was scared but I'm not scared anymore."

The bunny on the seat began to shake. The small paw that was grasped in Nick's paw shook as well.

Nick paused for a moment as he tried to maintain his composure.

"I'm not scared any..."

The doe in the seat snorted but did their best to remain silent.

"Ok…." Nick grumbled as he let go of the brown paw he had been holding.

Trisha burst out laughing as she held one of her sides.

"Oh gosh, Nick I'm sorry!" Trisha said as she fanned herself and tried to calm down.

"Listen if you aren't going to take this seriously," Nick said as he stood up and put the box in his pocket.

"Nooo!" Trisha whined as she reached out and grabbed Nick's paw. "You were doing so good Nick! I know she is going to absolutely love it!"

"You haven't even let me finish the whole thing though!" Nick shot back as he rolled his eyes at the bunny who was supposed to be helping him prepare for one of the most important moments of his life.

"Ok! Let me just..." Trisha scooted around in her seat and then crossed her legs. She took a deep breath and held out a paw as she looked seriously up at the fox. "I will be serious! I promise! I will act just like Judy so you will be ready."

Nick groaned as he took a knee once more and scooped Trisha's paw in his own.

"Judy-" Nick began but was cut off by Trisha who exploded with happiness.

"Yes, Nick Wilde!" She exclaimed as she wrapped her paws around the fox and nuzzled her cheek against his. "I Judy Hopps will marry you and we will live happily ever after and have tons of kits! And let Auntie Trisha spoil them rotten because we love her!"

"Ok, that's it!" Nick growled as he stood up. Trisha still had her arms around Nick's neck and her feet dangled as she rubbed her face against Nick's.

She giggled and slowly slid down till her feet landed on the floor. She looked up at Nick and beamed.

"You realize no matter what you say she is gonna say yes," Trisha pointed out.

"You think?" Nick asked as he opened the small box he had in his pocket and inspected the ring gently nestled in the center.

"I know," Trisha said confidently. "Because she has terrible tastes in foxes." Trisha couldn't help but tease Nick. The fox chuckled as he felt slightly better at his chances. Sure Trisha was a bit of a pain and wasn't exactly helping but hearing her words calmed the tod.

"I'm just…I don't know," Nick muttered as he put the box back in his pocket. A small paw grabbed his and he looked down at his friend. A pair of bright blue eyes shimmering up at him.

"I do know though," Trisha said as she pulled at the fox's paw. Nick rolled his eyes once more but took a knee so Trisha could give him a warm hug. "You and Judy are amazing together and I know you will make her happy Nick."

"Thanks, Trisha," Nick said as he squeezed the tiny doe.

"But if you don't I will end you," Trisha said sweetly.

"Thanks, Trisha…" Nick grumbled as he patted the bunny on her back.

The two friends parted and smiled at one another.

"Alright come on now," Trisha said as she turned to skip away. "Your future fiancé is waiting to get that ring on her paw."

"Trisha I was going to wait," Nick pointed out as he followed the bouncy brown bunny.

Trisha stopped and turned to glare at Nick. "You remember the last time you waited right?"

"You kissed my bunny in the 10-7 bathroom…"

Trisha grinned evilly and nodded.

"No!" Nick barked as he gave Trisha a knowing stare.

The doe tried to give the fox an innocent look but it didn't work.

"Trisha don't you dare!"

"Wait all ya want Nick!" Trisha said as she skipped away. "But wait too long and I'm gonna buy Judy a ring pop and propose to her myself!"

"That bunny!" Nick couldn't help but laugh as he ran after Trisha, the engagement ring in his pocket ready to meet Nick's future fiancé.


End file.
